No longer dense
by Flower princess11
Summary: Exactly what had been going through Arnold's mind when Helga cornered him up on the crow's nest and after that? This is the adventure from Arnold's perspective and how it resulted with him reciprocating Helga's feelings in the end.
1. The crow's nest

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.

* * *

 **No longer dense**

 ** _Chapter 1: The crow's nest_**

Arnold was currently up in the crow's nest, staring into the night. He couldn't believe that he was finally here in San Lorenzo, the place where his parents had disappeared when he was only a baby. He wanted to find them and Eduardo was willing to help him.

He was happy about that, it made him hopeful that he'll finally be able to find them and…and finally have his family back in his life. But there was unfortunately a catch to all of this.

Eduardo had told him about LaSombra who was still after the _corazon_ of the Green eyes and that he might be after him. He wanted to tell at least Gerald but he had promised Eduardo to keep it quiet and it ended with Gerald feeling upset that he was keeping secret. He didn't want to keep it a secret but he didn't want to break his promise. It was times like this he hated being in dilemma's such as this. He wanted to find his parents…but he didn't want to risk putting any one in danger with that river pirate LaSombra out there but with Eduardo around to protect them, they would be safe, they would be able to avoid LaSombra and hopefully find his parents in the end.

He just wished he didn't have to keep feeling like this.

 _"_ _It'll work out…It has to…"_ He thought, though he wasn't completely confident in himself.

Suddenly he heard someone climbing up into the crow's nest but he didn't even bother to turn around. It was Helga.

"Arnold, what a surprise. I came up here to think about life and…stuff…"Helga said to him.

"Yeah, me too…"He mumbled, not even bothering to look at her.

He didn't mean to be rude, but he had a lot on his mind right now. There was a moment of silence between them, before Helga started talking again, trying to make some kind of conversation between them.

"So...up here, staring into the night, trying to figure out how to tell me something, huh?..."Helga said in an interested tone.

" _Huh?...'_ Arnold thought in surprise, as he turned around to finally face her.

He looked down and weighed his options. He didn't want to break his promise but he didn't like keep something so big and so dangerous from his friends. Despite all the fights with her, he felt he could be honest with Helga about this, he'd just hope she at least would try and hear out his reasons.

Sighing, he decided to do it. If he was going to tell someone, it might as well be her, since she did ask him if he was keeping something to himself.

"Well, actually, I do have something to confess…'He started but was stunned by Helga suddenly becoming closer with an excited look on her face.

"Confess? Like a confession? Like a deep-seated secret you've been harboring and haven't told me?..."She asked in an eager tone much to his confusion.

 _"_ _What's with her?..._ 'Arnold thought before looking down as he continued… "Yeah….you ever feel like there's a hole in your heart?..."He said somberly, trying to keep his melancholy feelings in control.

As well as his confusion of Helga's strangely excited expression.

"Yes!..."She exclaimed… " All the time…." She said a little more calmly.

Arnold blinked a bit more at that strange response, before continued: "This whole trip's been about one thing…."He started before turning his back on her… "I want to find my lost parents…but I feel like I'm about to put us all in- - "He was cut off by Helga's suddenly angry tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I know all about your parents….'She said in an impatient tone, making Arnold wary about this sudden mood change.

"How do you feel about me?...'She suddenly demanded.

 _"_ _What did she just say?..."_ Arnold thought in surprise…" Huh?..."He questioned.

Did Helga just asked him how he felt about her? Why would she ask that? And now of all time?

Suddenly Helga came forward, as if about to get him or something and Arnold, by instinct barely managed to dodge her.

"You wouldn't even be here without me!...'She said in a very desperate tone and Arnold found himself backing away from her.

 _"_ _What's happening here?..._ 'Arnold thought, getting a very strange sense of Deja Vous.

He ended up hitting the railing of the crow's nest, but his focus was still on Helga. He was getting anxious about her sudden, weird behavior…an anxiousness he hasn't felt since-

"Oh, Arnold, I may act like I don't care, I may even say I hate you, but that's a cover. I actually do care about you….'She said, now smiling of all things as she tried to get closer to him.

"Huh?..."He said again, feeling that very weird Deja vous again.

That smile…those eyes…those words…they were all just like-

He was brought out of those thoughts when Helga suddenly yanked him up by the shirt and Arnold was actually kind of fearing that she was about to attack him or something. Up until now, Helga has never actually hit him before. She has certainly _threatened_ to do so many, many times but she hasn't. She just scowled in frustration but made no effort to hurt him, she just suddenly started shaking him.

"Don't play dumb, Arnold. You know what I'm talking about. You're like some weird old wise man, for crying out loud….'She said as she shook him.

" I know you can handle the truth, and I can, too….'She said seriously to him, still hosting up to stare at her face to face.

 _"_ _What truth?!..._ 'Arnold thought, feeling very freaked out about all of this.

"What are you talking about?!..."Arnold shouted, trying to make any sense of this situation.

He…He was getting a very bad feeling about this. If Helga wasn't going to hit him, he suddenly had memories of the last time they had been so close like this, not counting that tango he did with her during April fool's day during fourth grade. It was well over a year ago when they had saved the neighborhood and she said that she loved him but she also said that it had been in the heat of the moment.

* * *

 ** _FLASHBACK_**

 _Over a year ago_

 _Arnold couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had snuck into the FTI building to find the proof of the document that could save the neighborhood. Sheck had burned the document but they at least managed to find the tape._

 _All thanks to Deep Voice._

 _Arnold had received another call from him, that was warning him that there were guards all over the place and were looking for him. Arnold was naturally curious as to how he knew that or how he knew where he even was. He managed to find out since Deep Voice had been following him around for days, he finally managed to find the figure that had been his helper but Arnold was sick and tired of all the mystery._

 _He had corner him, demanding to know who he was, but he kept trying to avoid him until he tripped….And then he discovered that "he", was actually a "she"._

 ** _"Helga?!..."_** _He shouted in shock, unable to believe it at all. There stood Helga G. Pataki, his personal tormentor, now looking at him with a look on surprise as well at being caught._

 _"You? You're Deep Voice?..'He asked in a hesitant voice, still unable to believe it._

 _"Heh-heh. Looks ...like it….'She said into her voice box before putting it down, using her real voice._

 _"But I don't get it. How come... How come you couldn't just tell me what you knew? Why'd you have to make up all this crazy secret identity?...'He asked, wanting to know why she had done this._

 _It didn't make any sense, she and her family were going to get rich from having the neighborhood turned into a mall, she had gloated about it for weeks that not only would she never have to see him again, but she was going to profit from it too._

 _'No reason…."She said nervously, obviously not wanting to talk about it._

 _"But Helga, you just risked everything to help me save the neighborhood…."He said in disbelief.._

 _"So? What's your point?..."She said, no longer nervous but just annoyed._

 _"That's a pretty amazing thing to do for someone you claim to hate…"He pointed out._

 _"Yeah, well, I'm a pretty amazing person, football head….'She said with her hands on her hips._

 _"_ _True…"He silently admitted, he had to agree with her on that one…."But, I thought you were on your dad's side. I thought you were going to get rich off the whole deal…"He said, still in astonishment._

 _"Money isn't everything….'She said, still scowling._

 _"Helga, why'd you do it?..."He asked her._

 _"It's my civic duty….'She said nervously._

 _"Helga. …"Arnold said in annoyance. Did she honestly believe he was going to buy that?_

 _'Cause I love a good mystery?...'She said it like a question, as if silently asking him to take the bait and leave her be._

 _Okay, now he was getting mad!_

 _"Oh, come on. What's the real reason?..."He demanded._

 _He didn't care that he might be wasting time or the fact that she had generously helped him out in his time of need. He was grateful for that mind you, but Arnold did not tolerate being lied to. He just had to know why she would give up the chance of being rich to help him when she made it clear she couldn't stand being in the same room as him._

 _Just what was in it for her? Why did she care so much?_

 _"Oh, I don't know Arnaldo, I guess maybe I just took pity on you and your stupid friends….'She said with anger.._

 _Well, why?...'He asked._ _He lost his angry expression in exchange for a confused and downright surprised one_

 _He knew that despite her being a bully, he knew deep down Helga was a good person. He has seen it before but never like this. Why did she go out of her way to do something like this?…and go so hard to make sure that he never knew it was her?_

 _"Because... because I guess maybe I don't hate you as much as I thought, okay? I guess maybe I... I even kind of like you a little. Heck, I-I guess you might even kind of say I like you a lot….'She said with a nervous smile._

 _"You do? You did this for me?..."He asked, still processing this._

 _"That's right, hair-boy. I mean, criminy, what else are you supposed to do when someone you love is in trouble?...'She shouted._

 _Time almost seem to pause for a minute as Arnold finally processed that sentence._

 _"Did she just say…."His mind almost seemed to pause for a minute as he processed that sentence and unintentionally said… "_ _ **Love?.**_

 _Helga soon came forward at him, not in anger but in desperation…. "You heard me, pal. I love you_ _ **, LOVE YOU**_ _!...'She said with such force that he literally fell down in shock. She didn't stop however, she just continued as he got up._

 _"Who else do you think has been stalking you night and day, building shrines to you in a closet, filling volumes of books with poems about you? I love you Arnold! I've always loved you…'She said desperately as she kept coming forward…_

 _And he kept backing away from her._

 _"Shrines?...Poems?!...What the heck is she talking about?!...'He thought, feeling overwhelmed by this information…and a little scared to say the least._

 _Arnold felt his back hit the railing, and he turned to her in dread as he knew he was trapped. She didn't seem to notice or care… She didn't stop...She just kept talking and talking about things he never knew of and wasn't even sure he wanted to know!_

 _"Ever since I first laid eyes on your stupid football head! And from that moment and every moment since, I've lived and breathed for you, dreamed of the moment I could finally tell you my secret feelings and could grab you…"She literally grabbed him by the shoulders and Arnold unintentionally flinched by her touch._

 _"'And kiss you and—! Oh, come here, you big lug!...'She said before pulling him into a big kiss._

 _She pressed her lips onto his with such a force that he nearly fainted upon contact. His eyes were the size of saucers and he was frozen stiff as she kept kissing him._

 ** _Helga G. Pataki_** _was kissing him._

 _Yes, they have kissed before but that was for the school play and the babe watch thing. They didn't mean anything. No, this was a real kiss. She wasn't just pressing her lips against his, she was_ _ **actively, savagely**_ _and_ _ **enthusiastically**_ _CONSUMING him! She kept pushing him forward to deepen the kiss, pulling his forward to keep him close and tight in her passionate embrace as she kept kissing him like there was no tomorrow._

 _After what felt like a long time, she finally released him in order to breathe. Once there was oxygen in his lungs and his brain, he tried to process what had just happen._

 _"I'm confused. Did you just say you love me?...'He asked in a hesitant voice._

 _Sure, it was a stupid question but there was always a chance that she was just messing with him. Helga was certainly dramatic and maybe she just wanted to mess with him a bit, laugh and say "got'cha Football head"._

 _No such luck, she just looked angry at that remark and maybe just a tad bit insulted._

 _"What, are you deaf?!...'She shouted as she shakes him in anger._

 _Suddenly there was static, he glanced down to his walkie-talkie and heard Gerald say "Arnold", but before he could respond. Helga beat him to it._

 _"Not now! …"She yelled angrily into the device._

 _"Not now? Who the...?...'We never heard the rest of it as Helga casually tossed the walkie-talkie behind her._

 _She then turned to him and Arnold gulped... 'Oh Arnold, just hold me…"She said in an impassionate voice as she reached out for him, though he thankfully managed to dodge her this time._

 _Now he was panting, a few feet away from her. She looked at him in confusion, which only made this situation far too bizarre for it to be real. She was after him and he was having trouble staying conscious right now._

 _"I... I... I-I need to think…."He said, avoiding looking directly at her._

 _It was her eyes…They were…he couldn't describe it. The way she looked at him, as if he was the most precious thing in the world to him. He couldn't handle it, he wanted her to stop, to back up so that he could try and focus on what the heck was going on right now._

 _She didn't notice or care. She came forward, gently holding him, looking at him with those…those…loving eyes of her and spoke to him in the softest, gentlest voice he has ever heard in his life._

 _"Yes, I suppose you'll have to do the thinking for both of us now, darling….'She said dreamily before trying to kiss him again._

 _'DARLING?!..."He thought in shock as he managed to dodge her yet again._

 ** _"Whoa_** _! This is all happening too fast. I feel—I feel dizzy. I need to lie down…."He said, looking down, away from her._

 _He still couldn't process what had just happened. She turned down the chance to be filthy rich just to help him…She did it because she loves him…She said she loved him…She kissed him…She's STILL trying to kiss him._

 _She didn't seem to notice just how freaked out he was right now. She soon took him in her arms again, gazing at him adoringly and acting much more like a girl than he could ever remember seeing her act in their entire lives._

 _"Wonderful, I'll go with you…"She said, still in that airy, dreamy voice as she gazed at him lovingly._

 _"What?..."He processed that for half a second, until his eyes widen at what she just said and he found himself trying to push her off but she had a tight grasp on him._

 _'No!...I-I mean, there's no time for that. We've got twenty minutes to get back to the neighborhood before the bulldozers roll!..."He said desperately, trying to snap her out of her lovesick state and remind her of the reality of the situation._

 _He had to snap her out of whatever this is before they lose any more time…or if she tries to kiss him again._

 _"Bulldozers?..."She asked in the same, dreamy voice again, still not noticing anything at all._

 _"Helga. The neighborhood. We have to save the neighborhood…" He said with emphasis as he gripped her and to his relief, it seemed she managed to snap out of whatever trance she was in…_

 _For the time being that it._

 ** _End of Flashback_**

* * *

That was a year ago, they had managed to save the neighborhood and they had both agreed that it was just her being dramatic and the heat of the moment. It didn't mean anything.

That had been their silent agreement.

 _"_ _No…No…Don't tell me that she's…she's about to-…_ 'Arnold was truly stunned, unable to believe this.

This couldn't be it, could it?!

"I'm talking about the fact that I really _like_ you, Arnold…"Helga said passionately, in a similar tone to when she had grabbed him on the roof of the FTI building so long ago.

" _You do?..."_ Arnold thought in disbelief as he felt that the whole world was suddenly spinning. She didn't stop, she didn't let him go yet, she just continued with her rant.

"Like thunder likes lightning…"She said it with that same smile she had on the FTI roof. One that was full of passion, desperation and overall, pure honesty that left him flabbergasted.

 _"_ _What?..."_ He thought in confusion, wondering what that even meant. She didn't stop yet.

'Like faces like fists…"She said strangely as she suddenly she raised her hand into a fist.

He was actually getting very scared now that she would hit him. She didn't hit him really, she just rubbed it on his cheek, making him very, very uncomfortable right now…for many, many reasons.

 _"_ _Thunder? Lightning? Fists?..._ 'Arnold was having a very hard time processing all of this, and just wishing that she would just stop so that he could think.

He was scared he knew where this was going…and he knew that he wasn't ready for it.

 _'_ _She's not…She's not actually going to say it, is she?..."_ He thought as fear, nervousness, anxiety, confusion, curiosity and many other feelings swelled up in him.

This couldn't be it!

She wasn't going to say that she loves him…again?!

Just like on that roof, but this was not a _"heat in the moment"_ situation. They were alone, they weren't in a dangerous situation, or at least she didn't know that yet and nothing could have provoked this.

"You know, like-like….'She said and Arnold felt his heart stop at those words.

" _L-Like-like?..._ 'Arnold thought as he jaw dropped, as memories of the last time poured in his mind.

His head was spinning, he felt like he was about to faint but he was too paralyzed to even to that. He was just frozen in Helga's arms as he kept hearing more of her words. Memories about him being pinned again the railing of the FTI roof by her, her saying many things about being in love with him, obsessed with and wanting to be with him before she kissed him in such a way, he knew that he would never be able to forget it no matter how long he lived.

And it all started when she said that one word…

 _"_ _Oh man_ …'He thought in dismay as realization dawned on his young face.

This whole trip to San Lorenzo, her helping make the video to win the trip…Did she really only do that because she loved him and she wanted him to love her too?

He couldn't believe it….and that freaked him out even more.

" _She loves me…She actually loves me …_ "He thought in astonishment before gulping.

He knew what was about to happen now. She was going to say that she was in _love_ with him again. She was going to push him against the railing and kiss him again. She would probably say more things about being in love with him, telling him about things he didn't know about and probably didn't _want_ to know about….Like maybe about how she _actually_ got all those video tapes about him for the contest…

Anyway, after that, he knew that neither she nor he would be able to take it back again. That would be it. They wouldn't be able to say that it was the heat in the moment. They wouldn't be able to pretend to go back to their normal routine of the bully and the bullied. He wouldn't be able to _not_ think about her feelings, she might even stop the act all together after this and just…just keep acting like she had done on that roof now…maybe even _all_ the time after this!

Everything would change…

Helga would tell him that she loves him, she would kiss him again and he now realized that she was trying to coax him into having feelings for _her_ as well.

She wanted _him_ to love her the same way she loved him…but he wasn't ready for any of this.

" _She loves me, I know that but…but I don't…do I …no I don't…I…"_ He stopped thinking when Helga went back to talking, opening her mouth to say the last part of her confession that would open the great Pandora's Box of emotions he didn't want to face.

"In fact, I lo-..'She started that word and Arnold just couldn't handle it anymore

 _"_ _No! Not now…I can't deal with this!..."_ He thought in desperation.

 _'_ _Oh…_ 'He let out as he immediately pulled away from her, turning around to find something _, anything_ to just…just to stop her before she changed everything between them.

He wasn't ready for this…whatever this is, he just wasn't ready for it.

Thankfully, by some miracle, he noticed something in the water coming up to then.

It was a boat….

 _'_ _A boat?..._ 'Arnold thought in surprise.

Suddenly memories of Eduardo's warning of LaSombra came to his mind and he had to go warn him.

"There's a boat coming….'He said, warning Helga and thankfully managing to snap her out of her love-induce state.

He climbed down the crow's nest quickly. He had to get out of here and get to Eduardo before anything dangerous happened…or before Helga tried to corner him again. He had to warn him to protect everyone from the infamous river pirate. Whatever was happening with him and Helga, it could wait.

 ** _"_** ** _AAHHHHHH!..."_** Was suddenly heard loudly, scaring even some of the birds. Arnold didn't even bother to look back at Helga as he kept trying to find Eduardo.

He knew Helga was likely really mad right now that he bailed on her like that, judging by the sound of her yell but…but this was more important. Their lives were on the line if LaSombra was really after them.

He didn't want to hurt Helga's feelings. Despite everything, he cared about her and saw her as a close friend. He was grateful for her help in getting them to San Lorenzo. He cared about her but now was not the time or place .He had to find Eduardo, he had to get everyone to safety and he had to find his parents.

He just hoped that she would understand.

 ** _-To be continued-_**

Next time on _No longer dense_

 ** _The escape_**

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** I had used a similar flashback to the FTI scene for the other Hey Arnold fanfic **_"Married II"_** , so there might be some similarities.

* * *

 ** _:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)_**


	2. The escape

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.

* * *

 **No longer dense**

 **C _hapter 2: The escape_**

Arnold sat in the middle of his cold prison cell, feeling absolutely miserable as the events of the entire day had repeated in his mind many times already, each time, he wished that it was all just one, big, bad nightmare but sadly, that wasn't the case.

This nightmare was just sadly, all too true.

This whole trip to San Lorenzo had been nothing but a trap. He had tried to win it just because he had hoped, that somehow, someway, he would be able to find his parents and discover what had caused their disappearance. He wanted that more than anything in the whole, wide world. He had hoped, dreamed and prayed countless nights that he would find them one day, reunite with them and finally be a real, complete family.

That was what he always has wanted.

To find out that they were alive...that they didn't _mean_ to disappear, that something big had happened but that they _wanted_ to be with him, to be a family. It would have been so perfect, him arriving in San Lorenzo, finding Eduardo, they would both team up to find his parents and then...and then...

Arnold sighed as the harsh reality had finally set in.

He was trapped and couldn't escape.

The worst possible thing had happened today. He was locked in a cell, being held prisoner by his parent's old enemy LaSombra, who had tricked him to come here just so he could find the Green Eye people. His friends now hated him, and they had every right to be. This was all his fault. He had gotten them captured by the ruthless river pirate and they were all doomed.

And it was all his fault.

If he had never kept any secrets, had told at least Gerald what had been happening instead of blindingly trusting " _Eduardo_ " who was actually LaSombra in disguise, this would never have happened. The sad little football headed boy glanced at the guard who was lazily sleeping, with the keys in his hand. It was almost as if mocking him that he was trapped and couldn't escape no matter what.

Arnold, almost by instinct, pulled out his beloved picture of his parents, their smiling images had always been able to comfort him, but right now, he felt the hole in his heart become bigger and bigger as he knew it was all for naught.

"Mom...Dad...all these years, I hoped that we'd find each other and be a family again..."He said softly feeling his sadness growing and growing.

He would never find them now, never hug them like he has always longed. He would never be able to bring them home to grandma and grandpa and have their family fixed. He would never receive a tender kiss on the cheek from his mom that he always longed, he would never get to play ball with his dad like he always dreamed. They would never celebrate his birthday, Christmas or other holidays together in the boarding house. He would never be able to do anything with them and he now knew he couldn't even dream of them anymore.

"But... I guess I'm never going to find you. I'll never know what happened to you..."He choked out as he felt his eyes tearing up and his heart breaking even more.

He had failed them. He would not only never find them now but he might never even see grandma and grandpa, the boarders and Hillwood ever again and neither would his friends and Mr. Simmons either. He had gambled all of their lives, their freedom for the slim chance that he might rescue his mom and dad...and the guilt was eating him alive.

It was all his fault, all of his fault!

He wondered why all of this ever had to have happened, anyway?

All of his life, he has tried to do the right thing, get along with everyone and just try and live his life as peacefully as possible and help other if they needed him. Everyone thought he might have been a busybody, a wet blanket and a party pooper. That didn't bother him much anymore, he just tried to turn the other cheek and go on with his life. He didn't like holding grudges.

He just tried to be a good boy...just like his parents would have wanted him to be.

Glancing once more at the photo of his parents, he knew that it was time to accept that...there was nothing he could do now. He would never find them. He couldn't save them since he couldn't even save himself now!

"Good-bye, Mom. Good-bye, Dad. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."He said in between his sobs before he was outright crying now.

For the first time in a really long time, he let his sadness consume him and just cried out in sadness in misery.

It was all over now and nothing will ever make this right.

* * *

Arnold didn't know when he had finally managed to fall asleep. He had been too busy crying in misery and self-pity to even notice. But he was brought back to consciousness when something had landed on top of his bed in his prison cell, forcing him back to the world of consciousness.

"What's go-..."He was silenced when he felt a pair of hands over his mouth. He saw that it was Helga.

How did she get in here?

" _ **SHH.**_.."She hissed to the bewildered boy who also saw that Gerald was also in here as well.

"What are you guys doing here?...;Arnold asked in a mixture of confusion and amazement.

"We're your rescue committee...'Gerald said as a matter of factly.

Arnold blinked in amazement, before memories came back along with his guilt. He had gotten them all captured and they were still willing to help him?

"I thought you guys hated me..."Arnold mumbled in sadness, looking to the ground, his guilt as plain as day to them.

"Well, of course, everyone hates you, bucko, but we've got to bust you out of here and find those Green-Eyes if we want to save ourselves...'Helga pointed out, keeping her voice down as to not disturb the sleeping guard.

Arnold wanted to be hopeful but he couldn't do even that now. He wanted to escape with them but how would they even be able to do that?

"But what can we do? LaSombra won...'He said in defeat, feeling absolutely miserable.

And apparently Helga wasn't going to let him. The grumpy, blonde girl suddenly was sitting next to him, giving him a stern look that barely concealed the concern she truly felt deep down.

"Don't you give up now! Your blind optimism is one of your most _annoying_ qualities..."Helga said as she unintentionally put her hand on his shoulder

This surprised Arnold, not that she was trying to comfort him, but that she was still even willing to do that after everything had happened today. Not only the capture but what had happened before on the crow's nest.

 _"She still cares about me, doesn't she._.." Arnold thought in a mixture of wonder and disbelief.

Arnold wasn't dense, at least not anymore.

He knew that Helga was trying to tell him the truth about her feelings, that she was in love with him but he panicked when that happened. He wasn't ready to hear it, because his mind was more focused on finding his parents and also because he was actually worried about how he would even react to it.

Ever since what happened on the FTI roof last year, Arnold had always been confused with Helga. Despite their silent agreement that it had been in the heat of the moment, he knew that it wasn't. He knew Helga was in love with him, and that she wanted to tell him on the crow's nest and was angry and probably heartbroken by him not letting her finish it. He didn't mean to hurt her and he knew most of her anger from today was probably because of what had happened. But what surprised him was what she was doing now.

He looked down to look at her hand on his shoulder, gently on it, despite not wanting to admit it and despite all the trouble from today. Helga G. Pataki was actually trying to comfort him in her own way.

She noticed his staring, flinched and immediately pulled away, obviously feeling embarrassed. Had it been any other time, Arnold would have been surprise and maybe a little amused by her sudden shyness. Suddenly, Helga tried to regain her focus and Arnold would have wondered what had been going on in her own head, before she started speaking again.

"Besides, after the Green-Eyes help us, they might have some information on your parents..."She said seriously to him.

And that did it.

The wheels in Arnold's abnormally oblong head were turning as he registered what she just said and realized that she was right.

It was the Green Eyes!

His parents had come here to help them in the first place, they had helped each other countless times before he was born. Besides Eduardo(the real one, if he was even still alive), the Green Eye people were probably the only people in the whole entire world that would know what had happened to them.

Arnold, his misery and guilt now replaced with hope and determination, got up on his feet, with a smile on his face for the first time that night.

"Come on...'He said to them, feeling his optimism returning.

All thanks to Helga G. Pataki.

He would have to thank her, but right now, they had to get out of this cell, break out of the camp and find the Green Eyes hidden city. But first things was first, they had to get out and get passed the guard who was still, thankfully asleep and snoring loudly.

Arnold, wasting no time, tried to reach for the keys, but each time he got close, the guard would stir a bit, as if about to wake up. After a few times, Arnold was getting worried until he suddenly had an idea. Pulling out the stapler his grandpa had given him just before the trip and that he took only to be polite, he turned to Helga and Gerald who were obviously tense and confused right now.

"Grandpa said this would come in handy..."He said as he once again reached for the keys and quickly placed the stapler in the guards hand, successfully not waking him up.  
As quick as they could and as quiet as mouse, he, Gerald and Helga managed to unlock the cage and were now tiptoeing past the sleeping guard, but unfortunately, they haven't gotten as far as five feet as the guard suddenly woke up.

" _ **NO**! We were so close!..._'Arnold thought in dismay as he felt his heart stop as he knew what would happen now.

The stupid guard would chase after them, call the others and they would be captured again! Maybe sent to a different cell that would be even harder to escape from this time!

"Oh, what-...what are you..."The guard started as he came to and was about to get up and ruin everything.

It would be all over now!

But Helga had other plans, before they could even blink, Helga took the stapler from the guards hand and using all of the strength that she had and-

 _ **SMACK!**_

Arnold closed his eyes and cringed at the sound, only to open to them and now seeing the guard on the ground, groaning in pain before becoming unconscious while Helga stood over him, looking smug with the stapler still in her hands.

"Grandpa was right, football head...'Helga said in an almost proud tone.

Normally Arnold was against violence, but he made the exception right here and turned to Gerald before turning back to Helga. He knew what this meant, they could still make a break for it, get out of this camp, find the Green Eyes and save themselves and everyone else!

All thanks to Helga.

"Nice one Helga..."He said to her in a truly impressed and appreciating voice, earning a surprised and almost dreamy look from her that went as soon as it came.

Now was not the time to worry about whatever was happening with him and her, that could wait until this was all over. Right now they had to get out of here before the guard wakes up or before another one shows up. As they managed sneak out, thanks to the help of the others who were distracting the rest of LaSombra's men and thankfully managed to get the gate open for them. Now the three preteens ran, to freedom...

And to the Green Eyes who were their only hope now.

 _ **-To be continued-**_

Next time on _No longer dense_

 _ **The waterfall and the statue**_

* * *

 **REPLIES** to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers

 **HumanDictionary:** Thanks...

 **Invader Johnny:** She was angry indeed, but at the end of the day, Helga will always be there for him...which he is now just realizing.

 **Carlinj83:** I hope that this will do ;)

 **shila-li** : Thanks :)

* * *

 _ **:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)**_


	3. The waterfall and the statue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.

* * *

 **No longer dense**

 ** _Chapter 3: The waterfall and the statue_**

It was late in the evening, well over a few hours since Arnold, Gerald and Helga had managed to escape LaSombra's prison camp and now here they are, still trailing through the deep, dark, dense and ultimate dangerous jungles of San Lorenzo, searching for the Green Eye's hidden city, who were our only hope for survival now.

As well as the only ones who might know what had happen to Miles and Stella.

 _"_ _We gotta keep moving…_ 'Arnold thought stubbornly as they kept walking.

He kept checking the map ever so often, all the while, keeping my guard up in case we run into anything dangerous such as wild animals or LaSombra's men finding them or anything else in that nature. After a few more minutes of walking, the group of preteens came across a large Waterfall and a deep riven and no visible way to get across it.

" _Oh man…"_ He thought to himself in dismay.

"So, how do we get past this waterfall?..."Gerald voiced the oh-so obvious question they were all thinking.

"Okay, my guess is that we're... " Arnold paused when he glanced at the map and internally groan when he didn't see anything there like a trail or something nearby… "I don't know…."He said, hoping his voice didn't show any disappointment.

" _We have already come so far, we can't turn back now!..._ 'Arnold thought as he kept looking around, trying to think of some possible way that they could cross over without risking any of us getting hurt when Helga broke the silence.

"Hey, football head, your shirt is glowing…."Helga said pointing to his chest.

 _"_ _What?..."_ Arnold thought in surprise as he reached in and pulled out the amulet. Helga was right, it was glowing a bright green. Arnold momentarily stared in amazement until he noticed that it seemed to be glowing brighter being near the map.

"What? Because it's next to the map?..."He said out loud as he took a closer look, and then made another surprising discovery today…. _'The map?..."_ He thought in amazement when he finally saw it.

It wasn't just an amulet. It was like some mystical, magnifying glass or something! As the football headed boy held it toward the map, he suddenly saw a small, red line that wasn't there before…and it was directly _behind_ the waterfall!

"Look, it's a key! There's a hidden path behind the waterfall…."He said in excitement as he showed them.

The kids soon went on the path behind the waterfall, and Arnold felt more hopeful than before now. Not only did they have the map, but that amulet that he got from LaSombra could help them find hidden trails and whatever other things they might come across on this journey.

" _We're getting closer…I can feel it…"_ He thought to himself, feeling more determined than ever now.

With the map and the amulet, we will find the Hidden city, save his friends and find his parents.

He knew that he would.

* * *

After….I don't know how long has passed but it was a while and now the kids were still searching for something, _anything_ that might show us that we are getting closer and closer to their destination,

"Are you sure you're even reading that map right?...'An impatient Helga asked him for the millionth time already.

Arnold resisted the urge to roll his eyes and just nodded…. "I'm positive…"He said to her.

Though how she could think he could have misread it, I'm not sure. He _had_ used the amulet in order to see if we could find another hidden path or something but still nothing. Helga merely kept that frustrated look on her face, pulled the journal and the amulet closer to her and the boys saw her roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Oh, sure. So there should be some sort of giant eyeball here?..."She said sarcastically, though Arnold can tell she was more nervous of their situation than anything.

Arnold was a little confused as well about the eyeball thing. He did sincerely doubt that they will actually come across some real giant, magic eyeball just lying around in the jungle but there had to be _something_ out here.

Why else would it be on the map!?

"You got us lost, football head…."Helga accused in anger. Before he could defend himself and tell her that we were _not_ lost and that she didn't have to worry too much, Gerald got their attention.

"Did I hear someone mention a giant eyeball?..."Gerald said as he pointed to an old wall that had the image of an eye carved into it.

The Green _Eyes_ ….Duh!

" _We're getting closer…I can feel it…"_ Arnold thought, trying to control his excitement.

They saw that there was some kind of gate with more symbols of the Green Eyes. Arnold was trying to figure out a way to open it and get inside when Helga demanded the map from him once again.

"Oh, for crying out loud!...'He heard her mumble, though he wondered what she had seen.

However, before he could ask her, she just walked up to the wall of the gate, where the carvings of the _eyes_ were. Without wasting any time, Helga touched the two of them and to his great surprise, suddenly the eyes pressed _into_ the wall and before they knew it, the gate had opened!

Helga had managed to figure out how to open the gate!

"Good thinking, Helga. You're brilliant…"Arnold said happily as he and Gerald ran inside.

Both of the boy's friend didn't know yet that he was practically about to burst from excitement at this point. They were inside and all they had to do was keep moving forward and he knew that sooner or later, they would find the city.

He could feel it.

"Well, at least one of us can read…."He heard Helga said, trying to play it cool though Arnold couldn't help but wonder how she was really feeling right now. Nothing could spoil this for him.

 ** _"_** ** _AHHH!..._** 'Helga suddenly as the gate closed directly behind her.

 _"_ _Maybe I spoke too soon…'_ Arnold thought in a panic as he noticed the surrounding area was suddenly shaking.

He also noticed that something came out.

 ** _ARROWS!_**

"Booby trap!...'He exclaimed.

Arnold's eyes widen when he saw that one of the arrows was heading near Helga, and there was no way that she would have dodged it before it was too late.

 _"_ _HELGA!..."_ He thought as he felt his heart stop and his feet moving almost without his own control.

He found himself lunging at Helga, pushing her out of harm's way before the arrow could have punctured her. Now we were on the ground, both panting but thankfully, no more arrows seem to be flying out to kill them. Arnold noticed her arms were still around Helga but he didn't make an effort to let go yet. He wanted to be sure that she was okay, first.

Helga was silent for a quarter of a second, still a bit reeling from the shock before she resumed her habitual scowl and pulled her arm away from him. "Did I say it was okay to touch me?..."She said with a stubborn frown on her face that he came to learn was as forced and fake as her act of hating him.

It made him almost smile, since if she was well enough to go back to that, it mean she wasn't hurt in any way, shape or form.

"Oh, boy….'He could hear Gerald mumble in annoyance.

A part of Arnold was also a bit annoyed as well, but the rest of him was just glad that she was alright.

"You're not hurt are you Helga?..."Arnold asked in concern to the blonde girl.

"I'm fine Football-head….and thanks…"Helga barely muttered the last part under her breath but Arnold heard it and had to smile a bit at that.

He knew that no matter what, he couldn't be able to bear it if Helga got hurt trying to help him find his parents and the green eyes.

He knew that he couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt, _period._

* * *

They kept walking after that and we saw more and more ancient ruins but with the map and the amulet as their guide, they now knew which steps to take and what to avoid here unless they want to come across more booby traps. The three preteens soon came across another path but Arnold stopped them before they could take a step on it. He had seen enough movies to know that ancient ruins almost always had more than one set of booby traps, so consulting the map, he knew that he was proven right.

"Oh, my gosh! This shows us which tiles to avoid….'Arnold said as he showed them the images. He showed them that the majority of the tiles on the floor were booby trapped, and only the ones marked on the journal were the safest to take.

"Forward….forward….forward….left…forward..." Arnold said as he carefully stepped on the safe tiles before telling Helga and Gerald to follow his lead.

Soon all three of them were hoping on the tiles, with Arnold in the lead, being very careful with his each and every step.

"Forward….left….forward….right..."They continued in almost perfect rhythm. They continued for a while as Arnold kept taking the lead, reading the map very carefully so that he wouldn't end up taking the wrong step.

"Maybe we're supposed to—…"The Football headed boy stopped for only one second, so that he could tell his friends about their next step but he found out too late that it was a bad idea.

 ** _"_** ** _OOF!..._** 'Was suddenly heard.

The second he stopped, Gerald and Helga, who were still too preoccupied with watching their own steps, ended up bumping into him...And that's where the trouble started up again.

Suddenly more booby traps sprung out again.

 ** _"_** ** _AHHH!..._** 'All three of the kids yelled as they had barely managed to avoid getting hit by arrows yet again that day.

" _Man, that was too close…"_ Arnold thought as panted, his heart was still racing from the adrenaline.

Helga, apparently having recovered from the shock a lot quicker, just send him an impatient look as she shoved the journal in the still-somewhat shaken Arnold's face. Successfully getting his attention.

"We should keep moving…"Helga said in a commanding tone of voice.

Arnold merely nodded as he checked the map again and saw that they just had to keep moving forward.

"Come on…"He said as he gestured up ahead.

* * *

About an hour or so later, and having successfully dodged several more booby traps though it seems they had at least one more.

"Hold it. It says there's some kind of false floor here….'Arnold said as he showed them the contents of the journal. Seeing a vine nearby, Arnold got an idea.

"Follow my lead…."Arnold said as he pulled the vine closer before swinging across, successfully managing to land safely on the other side.

Gerald and Helga soon did the same thing. However Gerald landed a little too close to the edge and almost lost his balance.

 ** _"Whoa, whoa, whoa!..._** "The tall Hair boy shouted in distress, needing help.

"Gerald!...'Arnold and Helga both said in distress but thankfully managed to pull him to safety, away from peril.

 _"That was t_ _oo close for comfort_ …'Arnold though as his heart was still racing, though he was grateful his best friend was safe right now.

Now all three of them were on the ground once more, panting and just trying to sink in the fact they had managed to avoid serious danger once again for the time being. And once again, Helga was the first to snap out of her shock when she shoved the journal back in Arnold's face, basically telling him that they had to keep going.

* * *

A little later, they came to what looked to be some kind of entrance but Arnold was savvy enough to know that it was most likely booby trapped as the rest of this place seemed to be. Seeing just a small ledge that the journal marked as " _safe",_ he knew what he had to do now.

"It looks like we have to hug the wall….'Arnold told them as he kept his back pressed against the wall and kept slowly sliding as if he was on some narrow path on a cliff.

Gerald and Helga were doing the same as him.

"Just a little more…"He told them as he could see them getting closer to a doorway.

After what felt like forever, they managed to get out of there. Arnold smiled, thankfully that they were all okay and managed to avoid whatever danger had been there, however Helga shoved the book in his face again in order to get him to continue.

 _"_ _Can't she be a little more patient_ …'Arnold thought as he narrowed his eyes a bit in annoyance but said nothing.

"What's next football-head?...'Helga asked him, trying to sound more confident than she actually was.

"We keep moving forward…'He said to her.

He knew that Helga was scared and was trying to hide it behind anger and impatience. He knew because he was scared and he knew that Gerald was as well, though they would never admit it. They were still in danger but that won't stop him from moving forward to find the green eyes.

And he knew that despite the fear they were experiencing right now, Helga and Gerald would bare it just to help him find the Green Eyes and his parents.

* * *

It was night time and the three kids were still on their journey. Arnold kept reading the map but frowned when he noticed that the amulet has was no longer glowing.

 _"_ _Hmm_ ….The amulet stopped glowing….'Arnold stated as he glanced at the journal… "And there's no more information on the map….'He said, disappointed but still optimistic.

"Oh, for crying out loud!..."A tired and very angry Helga yelled in exasperation.

He knew that she was frustrated since he was as well. He was upset that they was no more special information on the map but he had a feeling that they were close. Maybe he was being paranoid but why would the journal stop in this place? He certainly hoped that it meant that they were close to the city and didn't _need_ it anymore.

He really hoped that was what it meant.

"Well, if you don't mind, I could use a break. My dogs are barking…'A tired Gerald said as he sat down on some kind of stoned structure.

Another sign that they were close, he knew that had to be it.

"We'll have to find the Green-Eyes on our own from here….'Arnold said optimistically, more certain than ever now that they could make it.

However, Helga wasn't sharing his sentiments.

"You have got to be kidding me! This is the middle of nowhere, football head!...'Helga shouted in anger, her patience, if any, finally shot.

Before Arnold could say anything, they suddenly heard a yell and they both turned around to see Gerald falling into whatever he was sitting on.

It looked like there was a big hole where he once was.

"Gerald! Are you okay?...'A panicked Arnold shouted as he looked into the ground, hoping that his best friend was alright.

However, Helga, who also had been concerned, tried to look as well but unintentionally shoved into Arnold and it ended with both of them falling in as well but they both thankfully managed to land on a big pile of leaves, cushioning their fall.

 _"_ _What happened?..._ 'Arnold thought as he turned to Helga, hoping that she…and Gerald…were alright.

Helga seemed okay and even pulled out one of Gerald's shoes…But where was Gerald?

" _Mm-mm-mm!..."_ That familiar sound caught their attention.

The two blondes turned to see Gerald, alright and in front of some large statue and Arnold realized that they were in some kind of temple.

Though there was something about the statue that was strange to the football headed boy.

' _Wait? Is that?..._ 'Arnold was unable to believe what he was seeing right there.

"Arnold? That statue sure looks a lot like you….'Gerald pointed out the obvious.

 _"_ _Hmm…._ I got to say, it's not half-bad…."Helga commented as he studied the statue itself.

 _"_ _A statue of me?..."_ Arnold thought in a mixture of amazement and bewilderment.

"I've seen better….'He heard Helga mumbled.

 _"_ _Wait, what?..._ 'Arnold thought in confusion, wondering what she meant by that. Did she mean that she has seen statues that looked like him before? What?

However, that was forgotten as the blonde boy was more focused on the statue in front of him. The map had brought them to this temple, he knew that now but why?

 _"_ _Just what was going on here?..._ 'Arnold thought to himself, trying to make sense of all of this.

Suddenly, they heard someone aproaching and all three of them gasped when a bunch of figures jumped out from everywhere, wearing strange costumes and holding weapons.

" _Wait…_ 'Arnold thought for a moment as he studied them.

The strange, clothes and animals pelts and that they looked to be natives as well.

It was them! They have found them!

"It's them! It's the Green-Eyes….'Arnold shouted in excitement.

" _I can't believe that we finally found them…_ 'He thought, feeling so many emotions right now.

They finally found them. They finally found the mysterious and elusive Green Eye people. Now they could help them defeat LaSombra, save their friends and maybe find his parents as well. However, before he could introduce himself and beg them for their help, they all gasped once they saw him. Suddenly the Green Eye people lowered their weapons and looked to be in amazement of something. Now they approached them and were now bowing…To him?

" _What the heck?..._ 'Arnold thought in confusion.

"Arnold... Arnold..."The Green Eyes chanted as they kept bowing to him as if he were some kind of God to them or something.

'What?...'Arnold mumbled, still unable to believe this.

Just what was going on here?

 ** _-To be continued-_**

Next time on _No longer dense_

 ** _The Green Eye People_**

* * *

 **REPLIES** to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:

 **Puella Pulchra, CarlinJ83** and **Ellena Weasley:** Thanks so much.

 **Invader Johnny:** As a certain football head said about looing on the bright side ' _Somebody has to"._

 **DarthRoden76** : Thanks

 **Guest:** Thank you, I try my best to keep them in character as much as possible.

 **SeraphinaDreamer:** I hope that this will do…

 **Braygirl:** Glad to have a fan…

* * *

 ** _:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and_** ** _review :)_**


	4. The Green Eye people

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.

* * *

 **No longer dense**

 ** _Chapter 4: The Green Eye people_**

We had finally found the Green Eyes people and I was so revealed. We finally found them and they could help us save our friends from LaSombra's men and maybe even help me find my parents as well.

However they couldn't seem to understand me. The first thing that they did upon greeting was bowing down and saying my name before they pulled out some kind of palanquin and insisted that I sit in it. I was too surprise to even protest as they carried me all across the jungle during the entire night.

Now it was morning and here I am, and I have no idea how much time has passed since being carried off by the Green Eyes as they kept chanting my name. At least Gerald and Helga were right behind me, trying their best to keep up while I tried to somehow communicate with these guys.

"Arnold!..."The chanted my name again.

" Come on, guys, we need your help. Our friends are prisoners of LaSombra…."I said for the hundredth time, hoping that they would just stop and try and understand me.

"Arnold. …"They just repeated, as if completely oblivious to what I just said.

"Yeah, I got that. …"I sighed in exasperation, already tired.

Just what was with these guys? I had the feeling that they likely didn't understand English…If that was the case, then how the heck was I going to get them to help us?!

Suddenly the green eyes stopped, with Gerald and Helga unintentionally bumping in them, not that they seemed to notice.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!..."I heard Helga shout in annoyance.

I was confused as well as I saw that we were now in front of some kind of wall. I saw two of the green eyes do something and suddenly the place got a little lighter, and it started opening up.

I stood there in amazement as I saw what was being revealed to me…

 _A city?!_

* * *

 _"_ _Wow…"_ I said in absolute astonishment and I didn't even need to look at Gerald and Helga to know that they were amazed as well.

It was some kind of large, Aztec like city that seemed to go on for miles and miles! It had dozens of buildings of unique architecture, manmade waterfalls and so much more. I was amazed until I finally realized where we were…..

"The Green-Eyed People's hidden city! …"I said happily, unable to believe that we were finally here.

Suddenly the Green Eyes put me back on the palanquin and moved forward, shouting my name all the way down.

"Yeah, yeah, _"Arnold."_ We get it!..."I heard Helga shout in annoyance.

I really couldn't blame her, she was tired and I was getting kind of fed up with the strange way they were acting. I just wanted to try and talk to them, to get them to help us. Suddenly more and more green eye people appeared, all cheering and bowing upon seeing me. I was so confused by this. Why were they acting like I was some kind of king or something? I haven't even been to San Lorenzo since I was a baby for crying out loud!

As weirded out as I was by this sudden worship, I couldn't help notice something really strange about this setting….

" Do you notice anything strange about this place? There are no grownups here…."I heard Gerald say, voicing what I was thinking as well.

Where _are_ all of the adults? It seems a little odd that only the children and teenagers were the ones greeting us….

Suddenly the green eyes carrying me ran up what appeared to be some kind of temple. Once up there, I noticed a strange kind of curtain and a silhouette in it.

 _"_ _What?..."_ I thought in confusion as I stepped off the palanquin.

Suddenly two of the Green eyes opened the curtain to reveal another person who seemed to have been waiting for us…or me particularly. It was a girl who seemed to be around my age and I had the strange feeling like she was the one in charge here. I also couldn't help but notice the headdress that she was wearing that kind of somehow look like _me_.

"Finally!... A bigwig in charge. …"Helga said as she shoved some Green eyes out of the way.

"Literally…."Gerald said in exhaustion.

"What? She's a kid, too?..." She exclaimed in shock.

"Arnold…."The girl said in the same way the other Green eyes did.

"Please, can you help us?..."I begged her, even taking my hat off to show some form of politeness.

"Don't suppose she _hablas ingles_?..." Helga whispered to Gerald but I heard her.

I really hope that she did understand English. How else we would be able to ask her for help!?

"I got this…."Gerald said as he approached the girl…. Hey girl, how's it going?..."He started and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. What good is _flirting_ going to do at a time like this?!

Surprisingly…or maybe unsurprisingly, the girl just ignored Gerald and just came up and took my hand.

 _"_ _What?..."_ I thought in surprise and could faintly hear Helga exclaiming in shock.

"Man, why can't I ever be the chosen one?...'I barely heard Gerald mumble in jealousy.

I was surprised until I realized that the girl just seemed to be leading me to a place in the temple. I was amazed by the sight of my surroundings. Suddenly I heard some footsteps and suddenly felt Helga _forcefully_ separate me and the girl.

"Alright, close enough, sister…."She said angrily to the girl who looked surprised by the sudden hostility.

She wasn't the only one. I was stunned by Helga's sudden attitude.

 _"_ _What's with her?..._ "I thought in a mixture of confusion and minor annoyance.

I was used to a lot of Helga's mood swings, I knew that she had a temper on her and was tired and scared and maybe flabbergasted by all that we experienced so far but it seemed a little much. This girl didn't do anything wrong, she just took my hand to lead me to this place and why did it seem like she was territorial and-

Suddenly it clicked to me….

 _"_ _Wait? Is she actually jealous?..._ 'I thought in shock.

I knew Helga had feelings for me but I was shocked by how quick she reacted and how…how… _possessive_ she seemed just because this girl took my hand. She seemed to notice my gaping expression.

"What?...'She said, as if pretending her outburst didn't just happen. Before I could say anything, Gerald got our attention.

"Hey, Arnold, check it out!..."He said as he pointed up.

I looked and saw a mural that had a painting on it. Is this what the girl wanted me to see?

"Looks like the king is... sleeping?...Lazy much?"…I heard Helga mumble as she described what we were seeing.

 _"_ _Sleeping?...The sleeping sickness?!..."_ I thought as I realized what this must mean.

"This must be about the sleeping sickness that my parents came here to cure…."I said, realizing something but still missing some important clues.

"Arnold..." The girl beacon me.

I walked up to her and saw that she was pointing to some entrance as she spoke in her native language. I followed her and now we were walking up a staircase.

" Looks like she's giving us the grand tour…."Gerald said.

"It better be grand. We've come a long way for this…."Helga muttered under her breath as they continued their descent.

* * *

Once up , Gerald noticed something.

"Look, there's a bunch of people sleeping over here, too…."He said as he pointed to another painting.

"So is this what happened to all the grownups in this joint? They're asleep?..."I heard Helga question.

If that was true than that meant that they all must have gotten the sleeping sickness at some point. I turned left and noticed another painting that caught my eye. I ran up closer and nearly dropped in shock at the image.

" Mom….Dad…." I said in disbelief.

This meant that they did somehow make it to the hidden city! I turned around to face the green eye girl, a look of desperation on my face.

"Do you know where they are?..."I asked as I pointed to the painting.

"Please, do you know these people?..."I asked in absolute desperation.

My parents had been here and the green eyes had to have known what had happened to them. I need to know! I am so close to finally knowing the true that it's almost painful! The girl only started speaking more in her own language and I felt so frustrated right now. What I would give for a translator right about now. The girl just kept walking and showing more and more paintings.

"Oh, my gosh….These paintings are, like, straight out of my dad's journal…."I said in amazement.

I examined the images and realize that they were trying to stay some kind of story. There were some kinds of hieroglyphics like the Egyptians used.

I saw one about my parents, carrying some kind of box of medicine and I thinks that I have figured out the message.

"That's the first time they brought the serum to the Green-Eyes…."I said as I kept trying to understand it.

"The serum?..."I heard Gerald asked in a confused voice.

"Yeah, the cure for the sleeping sickness….'I explained as I kept walking and seeing more and more hieroglyphics.

I looked at the new panting and saw an image of my parents crying as they were looking into their medicine kit and they were surrounded by more sleeping green eyes.

Did that mean-?

"But at some point they didn't have enough?...'I questioned out loud, feeling so strange right now.

"What's going on here, Arnold? …"Gerald asked me as he pointed at a new panting.

"My parents are making more of the cure?..."I deducted from the hieroglyphics presented there.

Some many blanks were being filled but there were still so much left unanswered. I know now that my parents did make it to this place…that they did try and cure the Green eyes but needed more time to make the cure.

But what else happened?! What had happened that kept them in this place for nearly a whole decade?!

Suddenly the girl led us to what was probably the biggest painting we have seen yet. She kept talking, although we couldn't understand her and she suddenly pointed to one image in particular, it looked to be some kind of heart but it was gold colored.

"It's the Corazon…"I said.

"The treasure Lasombra's so crazy about?..."Gerald asked in confusion but I didn't answer him.

I kept looking at the images on display. It was of my parents who were pointing at…at…a boy with a football head that was within a volcano?

"Child of the volcano?... Is that supposed to be me?..."I questioned out loud, feeling so confused.

The girl only looked stunned before smiling and looking excited, spouting stuff in her own language before running and shouted to her fellow green eyes who all suddenly started cheering and crying for joy.

 _"_ _What did I say? What is going on here?..."I_ thought in confusion.

* * *

Suddenly, the green eye kids were opening some kind of device and out of it reveals some kind of relic that was on what looked to be some kind of pedestal.

They were all _green_ too.

 _"_ _What is going on here?..."_ I thought as I stared at the item, unsure about what was happening.

"What am I supposed to do?..."I asked the Green eye people.

The leader girl just kept talking in her own language as she pointed at the item on display and then at some kind of wall where Gerald and Helga were standing next to.

"I know you want me to do something, but I need more to go on…."I explained even though I knew that she and her people couldn't understand me.

I felt like I was missing something here…something _important._

"This... whatever it is looks like the thing from the painting…"Gerald said.

"See? Up there, in the middle…"He said as he pointed at the mural and I realized he was right. It did look exactly like the image on the painting with my parents and volcano-me.

"Hey, yeah. And they've got the Corazon there, too…."Helga gestured to the image.

I tried to interpret the images, I knew that they were like some kind of instructions, they wanted me to do something but-

"But...I don't know what to do…."I said in defeat, feeling so hopeless.

I wanted to find my parents and the Green eyes clearly seemed to need me to do something…something that involved the sleeping sickness but I was so lost right now.

"I know what to do. …"I felt my heart stop as I suddenly heard the last voice I ever want to hear. I turned and saw LaSombra come up with a smug look on his nasty face.

" _Buenos das_ , partner…"He said smugly while all of the Green eye children gasped in horror.

"LaSombra…"The leader girl grumbled along with some other things in her own language.

"So you've heard of me? How flattering. Well, I am infamous…."LaSombra said mockingly before he saw the item on the pedestal and I could see a greedy glint in his eyes.

"At last. The Corazon. The sacred treasure of the Green-Eyed People is finally mine!..."He said as he reached out to grab it.

"No, it's not yours! We need it!..."I said as I got in-between him and the Corazon, trying to protect it from the evil river pirate.

"It's got something to do with the sleeping sickness!..."I said desperately, in hopes of somehow appealing any bit of humanity within the criminal.

"Oh. You think so?..."He said as if he was really considering it and I almost believe he might have had some humanity.

Only for it to be dashed when he shrugged carelessly and said " Well, it's too late, it's mine now!…."He said selfishly before he turned to face me.

"And you, my fabled football-headed friend, led me right to it….'LaSombra pointed me with a sinister look in his eyes.

"What?...'I exclaimed in shock.

What did he mean?! How did _I_ lead him here?

"Oh? You did not realize you were wearing a tracking device?..."He shouted as he pulled on my amulet and I gaped in shock when I saw a small device stuck at the back of it.

"The amulet?..."I said in shock, unable to believe that I didn't even notice it.

"Gah! Of course!..."Hela shouted as she kicked the device LaSombra once had in frustration.

It was so obvious but they didn't even realize it until it was too late. This was like an Indiana Jones movie gone wrong!

"Yes. I used the Green-Eyed People's own treasure against them. I thought that was a very clever _evil_ touch…."The bad guy boasted as he let go of the amulet before shoving me out of the way.

 _"_ _Why you?!..."_ I thought in fury, is it really possible to hate someone to this level?

I tried to be patient with people and I never really hated anyone back home. Don't get me wrong, I have gotten annoyed and have lost my patience but very few people were capable of making me actually hate them.

LaSombra was one of the few who managed to earn my hatred.

"And after centuries of being hidden, you, Arnold, brought me right to them…."He said as he pointed to me.

I felt my stomach and jaw drop as I realize that he was right. LaSombra only found this place because of me. If I never listen to him back on the boat, this would have never have happened!

"Where are our friends?...'Helga demanded in anger.

"Ah, don't worry. My guards are keeping an eye on them. Speaking of which, who is guarding this place?...'LaSombra asked as he took the Corazon in his filthy hands but no one answered him.

It seemed we didn't need to answer him as he looked around and I could practically seem the wheels turning in his head,

"Wait. You are all children? …'He asked in shock.

"Uh, doi! Welcome to five minutes ago…."Helga said in annoyance and exasperation.

"A hidden city full of _treasures_ and _no_ guards, only _children,_ to stop me from taking it all?..."LaSombra said in wonder as I could see how greedy we was getting.

" Why stop at the Corazon?..."He exclaimed.

"No! You can't take their things!..."I shouted, completely fed up with…with…with this _monster!_

He lies to me, kidnaps and holds my friends hostage , chases after us all across this God forsaken jungle and now, just when I am about to find my parents and save us, he shows up, eager to steal from the Green eye like it was some kind of game to him!

"You're right. Why take anything when I could bring people here and sell it to them? …The river pirate exclaimed.

"I could charge admission! I can see it now: _"Hidden City-Land_." …'He continued and I felt my own blood boiling the more he spoke.

Before I could do anything, the Green Eyes leader threw something sharp at LaSombra, making him gasp in pain.

"How dare you?!..."He shouted as he pulled out some kind of knife and ran to the girl, and I could only stare in horror.

Thankfully, it was then that the rest of the Green eye kids started to attack, all to protect their friend and leader. LaSombra thought they were pushovers just because they were kids but he was wrong. Suddenly more and more Green Eye kids, along with Gerald and Helga started beating on the evil river pirate and I tried to get the bag that held the Corazon away from him.

"Ah! You meddling…. don't understand capitalism!..."I heard him say but I didn't care as I finally managed to get the Corazon away from him.

However the amulet started glowing again and I noticed that it was in very close proximity to the Corazon.

 _"_ _What's happening?...'I_ thought in surprise.

Unfortunately LaSombra, being bigger, managed to break free I suddenly found myself with a very _sharp_ machete dangerously close to my throat and LaSombra gripping on my shoulder.

" _Oh man!..."_ I thought in dismay as I saw that things have taken a turn for the worse.

"I can see we're not wanted here, Arnold..."LaSombra said and all I can do was stare in horror at the sharp weapon being so close to me.

 _"_ _Vamonos…"_ I suddenly found myself being dragged by LaSombra, even though I tried breaking free.

"No! …'I shouted as I desperately tried to break free but to no avail.

"No? I need you, partner. …'LaSombra laughed as he dragged me through the jungle, away from the Green Eyes and my friends.

" _ **ARNOLD!**_..." I could hear Helga shouted in despair and it made my heart break as I knew she was trying to catch up.

I knew she and Gerald were following us to try and save me, even though LaSombra would just try and kill them for interfering, like he tried to kill the Green eyes leader.

It was all ruined now.

His parents were still missing, his classmates were still trapped at that prisoner camp, he was being kidnaped by this greedy, dangerous monster who stealing the Corazon that might have a link for the sleeping sickness and his friends were going to risk their lives to try and get him back.

It can't get any worse can it?

 ** _To be continued-_**

Next time on _No longer dense_

 ** _The fight for the Corazon_**

* * *

 **REPLIES** to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:

 **EmrysLover1215:** Thanks, I hope that this one will do.

 **Invader Johnny:** It certainly is…

 **Ellena Weasley:** Thanks for spotting that, I didn't even notice.

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 ** _:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)_**


	5. The fight for the Corazon

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.

* * *

 **No longer dense**

 ** _Chapter 5: The fight for the Corazon_**

Arnold tried to struggle to break free but LaSombra had a tight grasp over him.

"Let me go!...'The football headed boy demanded as he tried to struggle free but to no avail.

"Not a chance boy..."The villain said as he continued to run, while Gerald and Helga continued to chase after them.

Soon, they arrived to a rickety rope bridge, the kind you only think you would see in the movies.

 _'He's not actually thinking about crossing this old thing, is he?...'_ Arnold thought.

To his horror, he watched the villainous LaSombra take a step on the board, which immediately broke. Arnold paled in disbelief as LaSombra forcibly pulled he across the old, obvious unsafe bridge.

 _"This is not happening...This is not happening..._ 'Arnold thought as he tried not to look down as he was being forced across this dangerous thing by this crazy river pirate who was holding him tight by his backpack.

He was trapped by two very dangerous forces, gravity and a madman, and he is powerless to stop it.

 _ **"ARNOLD!.**_.."He turned to see Helga run to the bridge, along with Gerald.

 _ **"STOP!.**_..'Gerald called out.

"Guys...wait...don't...'Arnold said to them.

This is too dangerous and he didn't want them to keep risking their lives because of him. They didn't listen as they just started taking steps across the rickety old bridge, while Lasombra just moved even faster.

"Oh, _criminy!_ So, of course, I've got to go out on the stupid rope bridge to save the stupid Football Head...'He could hear her muttering.

Arnold, if he wasn't stunned by his dear, would have been amazed that she was still going so far for him, even if it's obvious that her very life is on the line.

If he wasn't so terrified for both of their safety, he would have been amazed by how devoted Helga is...something he wished he had realized before this entire crazy adventure.

Soon, Lasombra had made it to the end of the bridge but Gerald and Helga were still in the middle of it, and the evil pirate started immediately pushed the boy down and started cutting the bridge with his knife, with obvious intent to kill them.

 _ **"NO! GO BACK!**_...'Arnold called to them but it was too late.

The rope snapped and Gerald and Helga started screaming but they didn't immediately fall into the rivine and to their doom. Arnold saw that they were still clinging to what remained of the rope bridge, hanging on for their very lives.

 _'They are still alive...'_ Arnold thought in relief.

"Helga! Gerald! Hang on!...'Arnold yelled as he was going to try and pull them up.

LaSombra however had other plans it seems, as he grabbed Arnold and forced him _away_ from where his friends were dangling for their very young, short lives.

"Come here, volcano boy..."The pirate said as he continued to pull him.

"Let me go..."Arnold demanded as he tried to pull away from this mad man who lead him to where the Corazon was.

"Ha! Let you go? You are the only one who can open it!...'The evil man said.

Arnold glared harshly at this monster and refused to budge on this matter.

"No! We need to save my friends!...'Arnold shouted.

LaSombra however, pulled out and started brandishing his machete at him and the child gulped, worried for his life once again...

"First, open the Corazón! Then you can play with your little amigos...'The evil man said.

Arnold just couldn't believe that someone could be so cruel and evil, willing to risk the lives of children ,just for some treasure. Arnold heard his friends struggling and he knew that they were still handing.

"Helga Take your time, Arnoldo! We just love hanging out here!..."He heard Helga's voice shout sarcastically.

He knew what she is really saying is, do as he say before we all die here...and he knew that she must be terrified out of her mind.

The football headed child sighed as he knew he truly had no choice now. He pulled out the amulet and started to look through it and saw a series of instructions for him to do.

 _"The first step.._."He thought as he pushed the top of the Corazon, which caused the head to spin and now it was showing a different face.

LaSombta was clearly marveled and amazed and Arnold just tried to get this over with as fast as possible so he could go and save Gerald and Helga.

He began to look through the amulet once again and began to press the buttons on the idol in the order that it wants. Suddenly, it began to show another different face

 _'Now what?...'_ Arnold thought.

To his amazement, the idol began to open its doors and they both soon saw what was inside it.

It was the Green Eyes sacred Corazón.

"It's the heart of gold...'Arnold gasped in amazement and he was momentarily stunned by it.

It was literally a large, figure of a heart made of pure, beautiful, solid gold that left the boy temporarily stunned of the world around him, until LaSombra shoved him rudely to make a grab for it.

"Out of my way...'he shouted as Arnold was shoved to the ground.

 _"I really hate this guy_...'Arnold thought in annoyance as he saw the man drooling over the sacred idol.

"It's so beautiful...And it's all mine...'LaSombra said as he moved closer and closer to the heart of gold.

However, something neither of them expected to happen, had happened. The idol changed faces once again and suddenly a dart came out and hit LaSombra on the forehead.

 _ **'UGH!**_...'LaSombra shouted and started moving backward and to Arnold's immense horror, the man fell off the cliff screaming...Arnold couldn't believe it, did he just see LaSombra just...die?!

He was too stunned to move, until he heard Gerald's voice again.

"I wanna un-see that..."He heard.

Arnold snapped out of his traumatized shock and immediately ran to the ledge and soon saw both of his friends still dangling there. He immediately stretched his arm to try and reach them, to pull them up to safety.

"Take my hand..."Arnold called.

Gerald and Helga did just that, but to Arnold's horror they were too heavy and he wasn't strong enough to pull them back by himself.

"Ugh!...'He yelled as he tried to pull them up but to no avail.

"Pull!..."Gerald pleased as Helga's end began to break and she immediately clung to Gerald for her safety, which made it even heavier.

"I'm trying!...'He shouted but still couldn't pull them up.

"Try harder..."Helga screamed.

Had the situation not been so dire, Arnold would have snapped at her and tell her that he was doing just that. However, gravity wasn't on his side and Arnold soon found himself being pulled _down_ instead of pulling his friends up.

" _ **WHOA!.**_..'He screamed loudly as he began to fall off the side of the cliff but quickly clung to a nearby rope so he would not fall to his demise.

However, the extra weight made the bottom of the destroyed bridge begin to fall and the three pre-teens began to scream in terror.

 _ **'AHHH!**_...'The all screamed loudly and closed their eyes, as they felt that this is it.

 _"It can't end like this...please...please don't let it end like this..._ 'Arnold internally prayed for some kind of miracle to save them.

However, he soon realized that they were still dangling on the bridge, hanging on to dear life and he looked down and saw that it is a long way down. There is no way he could get them out of this...and it's all his fault.

" _This is all my fault...I did this...if it wasn't for me..Gerald and Helga wouldn't be in danger...we all would be safe at home in Hillwood...This is all my fault...'_ Arnold thought as the guilt begin to consume his heart.

This really is all his fault and not only will the Green Eye people not get their cure, and not only will he never find his parents now, but his classmates would still be held prisoner by LaSombra's henchmen, who would probably kill them with or without their leaders orders, and he, Gerald and Helga were going to DIE...

They were going to die at 10 years old...They were going to die in this dangerous jungle, falling to their deaths and it is all his fault.

" _I di_ _d this..."_ Arnold thought as he knew it was hopeless now.

He turned to say goodbye to his friends and say that he is sorry for what he did to them, he was going to tell them that he is sorry that he got into this horrible predicament but when he turned to Helga, to apologize to her...

 _"Huh?_..."Arnold thought as he soon looked into her eyes.

It was weird but when he looked into Helga's blue eyes, he didn't see any anger, fear or even the slightest hint that she was blaming him for this whole thing. He didn't even see the false anger and deep insecurities he's always seen during their entire lives...At that moment, when he looked into her eyes, all he saw was regret...

Regret...and the truth...

 _"Helga..."_ Arnold thought as he continued to look into her eyes.

He saw their entire lives together, the good times and the bad, but strangely enough, all he could focus on was the good times...

Starting when they first met...

" _Hi...Nice bow..."His three year old self said to Helga when they first met._

 _"Huh?..."The little Helga asked in confusion._

 _"I like your bow...because it's pink like your pants...'The little Arnold said sweetly._

He then saw the time Helga had found his hat, after he had been depressed after losing it for days.

" _My hat, you found it! Thank you Helga..."Arnold yelled happily before he actually hugged her and for a moment, she didn't push him away, until she did and told him not to touch her again._

He saw when Helga told him the truth about Summer and how she actually comforted him...

 _"I'm sorry Arnold..."Helga said in a genuinely sympathetic voice._

 _"You were right the whole time, Helga..."Arnold said in a sad voice._

 _Soon Summer came by and Arnold told her that he knew that she was lying to him, and dumped her as his sand castle partner before telling her to take a hike. Helga witness the entire thing before she went to check on him once again._

 _"Sorry I didn't listen to you, Helga. I guess you were really just trying to be my friend...'Arnold said to the blonde girl who looked surprised and maybe a little bashful at what he just said._

 _"Well, I figured it was the right thing to do; I mean, she was taking advantage of you and I couldn't just- Well..." She was stuttering, trying to downplay what she did but Arnold just kept smiling at her at that moment.  
_

 _He knew that despite being a jerk and a bully sometimes, he knew that Helga cared about him, even if she wouldn't admit it today or any other day. He knew that despite it all, she is his friend and she cares about him._

He then saw many other memories of his life with Helga, memories that at the time seemed insignificant but were now very precious to him. Each memory, all leading up to that night on the roof of FTI where Helga had told him the real, honest truth of her feelings for the first time in their entire lives...

 _"You heard me, pal. I love you, LOVE YOU!...Who else do you think has been stalking you night and day, building shrines to you in a closet, filling volumes of books with poems about you? I love you Arnold! I've always loved you…'ever since I first laid eyes on your stupid football head! And from that moment and every moment since, I've lived and breathed for you, dreamed of the moment I could finally tell you my secret feelings and could grab you…nd kiss you and—! Oh, come here, you big lug!...'She said before pulling him into a big kiss._

They say that when you are about to die, your entire life flashes before your eyes...He's about to die, but the only thing that was flashing through his eyes were the special times he had with Helga...including the night on the crow's nest.

 _"I'm talking about the fact that I really like you, Arnold… Like thunder likes lightning…Like faces like fists…You know, like-like…." Helga said in the most genuine, sincere way to him for the first, real time in their entire lives as she looked into his eyes.  
_

 _"In fact... I-..._

She didn't get to finish her confession, her REAL confession, all because he wasn't ready to hear that and he felt guilty about that but, as he looked into her eyes, he finally saw the truth.

 _"Helga...I think...I think I finally understand..._ 'Arnold thought as he continued to look into her sad, truthful eyes.

She loved him, she always did and he knew now that it wasn't some grade school infatuation but the true, honest, real deal. He had been scared of it earlier but now...it was his only comfort in the final moments of his life.

 _"If...If this is the end...At least...At least I finally understand her...and me...'_ Arnold thought.

He felt his heart pumping, in a way he never felt before, even for Ruth, Lila, Summer, Mary, Maria or the other girls he had brief crushes on. All he could see was Helga and her love for him.

He actually forgot about the danger he was in, he forgot about the fact that the bridge was going to give any minute and they were going to die...all he could see was her.

Her and her love for him, which he realized and accepted wouldn't ever go away...and he didn't want it to go away either...

 _"Helga...I..._ "He was about to say something...anything to her but then, a miracle happened...

Suddenly, a rope comes down, breaking them out of their moment. They looked up to see a man holding the rope but they couldn't see his face yet.

"Come on up, mijos!..." The mysterious hero called to them.

"Who's that?..." Arnold asked, unable to believe that they are saves.

"Who cares?..." Gerald shrugged as he and then the rest began to climb up the rope.

Once they were safe and sane, Arnold was obsolete relieved.

"We're alive..." He whispered, feelings his racing heart finally begin to calm down.

He then turned to thank his mysterious rescuer but he was stunned when he finally got a good look at his face.

" Eduardo! It's really you?..." Arnold exclaimed happily as he looked at him.

Its the same Eduardo from his parents pictures, only a little older but still the same...

" Hello, my— ..." He was interrupted when Helga marched forward in complete distrust.

"Wait. Not another _"Eduardo"!_ "Your parents' trusted friend,with a mustache?"...'Helga said in distrust as she even began to pull on Eduardo's mustache to see if it's a fake or something.

"Ha! I've heard that before! Why should we trust him?..." Helga scoffed.

Arnold blinked, he realized Helga did kind of had a point, given what has happened with LaSombra but still if this wasn't the real Eduardo, why would he bother saving them?

" You are welcome to climb back down...'Eduardo said sarcastically to the blonde girl.

He also made a point and Helga realized this when she released his mustache but she still eyed him suspiciously. He didn't entirely blamed her, given everything that has happened bu Arnold just approached the REAL Eduardo.

"How'd you find us?...'Arnold asked the hispanic mad.

"I have been following you since your class came to San Lorenzo. I suspected that LaSombra would use you to get to the Green-Eyed People somehow. They broke into my place and kidnapped me. I escaped, but got to the dock too late. I had to chase you in another boat...'Eduardo explained to them.

"Oh! On the river! We thought we were being attacked by pirates..."Gerald said as realization finally sunk in.

"No, it was me. I lost you at the rapids, but I was able to pick up your trail where you crashed...'The hispanic man said.

Arnold was smiling happily, unable to believe that after all this time, he found Eduardo and the Green Eye People, the only people that could help him find his missing parents.

"I'm so glad you're here! We found the Green-Eyed People's hidden city! It's where my parents disappeared..." Arnold said to the man who looked surprised.

"So, then, you have seen them? Miles and Stella are...are alive?..." Eduardo asked in an almost desperate way.

Arnold was stunned to see that it looked like he was almost about to cry. It seems he wasn't the only one who missed and worried about his parents. ..

" I... I don't know!."Arnold confessed to Eduardo.

However, before they could do anything, something horrible happened. They turned to see a LaSombra somehow climb all the way back up, expect now he was green like a a zombie and clearly out for blood.

" _It's just not possible..."_ Arnold thought in terror as he and his friends hid behind Eduardo for safety.

"So, you finally caught up to us, Eduardo! ..." LaSombra said in a deranged kind of way as he took another menacing step forward, while Eduardo held his guard up.

"You call that a mustache?!..." He mocked, but Eduardo didn't let that bother him.

He had more important things to do, like protecting the children.

"Did you think you could get away with this, Lasombra? Miles and Stella protected the Green-Eyed People from you" Eduardo yelled at the villain..."And now their son will, too..." He said as he gestured to Arnold.

" _Why did he signal me out like that?..."_ Arnold thought as he plastered a nervous smile on his face and felt fear consume him.

LaSombra merely had a nasty smirk on his nasty green face, before saying: Always so presumptuous...

Suddenly LaSombra took the poison dart out of his head and held it menacingly...

"They're not safe yet!..." The villain shouted before he charged like an angry bull.

Arnold, Gerald and Helga stood back as they were forced to see Eduardo fight against the mad pirate who was trying to hit him with the poison dart, but the hispanic man was putting on a fight.

 _"Oh man, now what?..."_ Arnold thought nervously as he tried to find a solution.

He didn't but it seems Helga at the very least found her nerve again. She immediately grabbed his backpack and ran to cover LaSombra's face in it in order to help Eduardo.

" _She's really brave, isn't she..."_ Arnold thought in admiration before he rushed to help her fight LaSombra, with Gerald following his lead.

They all tried to hold him down but LaSombra was a bigger and stronger adult and even when poisoned, he had the strength to kick them away. However, when Arnold hit the ground, he noticed that LaSombra, in his rampage, accidentally knocked the Corazon away and it was beginning to roll away...

TOWARDS THE _**CLIFF?**_ !

"No!..." Arnold shouted as he tried to run for him, but LaSombra pushed him away as he tried to desperately reach for the idol himself, but it was no use...

The Corazón rolled off the cliff and fell hundreds of miles down it, never to be seen again.

"No...no...the Corazon. ..it's gone..." Arnold thought in sadness.

However,he soon noticed a shadow loom over him and looked up to see an even angrier and more deranges LaSombra suddenly hosit him up with a mad look on his face.

"You pest! Just like your parents!..." LaSombra snarled like a rabbkt a imal and Arnold was fearing for his life now more than ever.

"I'm going to throw you over the cliff! Go get it!..." He yelled.

Arnold was scared, fearing for his life and the life of his friends but then, before LaSombra could toss him to see untimely death, he suddenly started weeping and looked faint...no, he was passing out or something...

Or it seems the poison was finally taking affect on him, as the villainous man became even greeted, and he ends up tumbling back to fall off the cliff but not before tearing off Arnold's amulet in the process. Arnold was back on the ground, safe from harm but he could only stare in horror as he watched the evil LaSombra fall to his death, even though he disappeared in the mist.

 _"He's...dead. .."_ Arnold thought in horror and shock, while his friends and Eduardo approached him to see that he is okay.

"He died the way he lived...full of poison..." Eduardo sighed, not feeling pity for LaSombra but not liking that a death has taken place.

Arnold just continued to stare into the rivine where both LaSombra and the Corazon had fallen, unable to believe any of this.

The Corazón! It was sacred to them!..." He said in dismay as he tried process that the Green Eyes most sacred treasure was lost forever.

"Now it's... gone..." He said sadly.

His parents went on countless adventures trying to protect the sacred relic from LaSombra's greed but now, even though the villain is gone, the beautiful heart of gold is gone too, never to be seen again.

 _"It's all my fault..."_ Arnold thought sadly, not knowing how he was going to fix this.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw that it was Helga, with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Hey, Football Head. We're alive, okay?..."She said in a gentle voice, that basically said that its not his fault and things will be alright.

"Now, let's go back to that hidden city and find out what happened to your parents..." She said.

Arnold look at her in amazement, even after everything that has happened, she still wants to help him find his parents. Arnold looked at her, wondering why he's never noticed that part of her before, and I mean REALLY notice it but before he could do or say anything to her, Gerald interrupted them.

"One question...How are we gonna get back over there?..." he asked out loud.

Arnold soon noticed that the bridge was gone and they were stuck here but it seems Eduardo has the answer.

" Um, I prefer the stone bridge myself..." Eduardo said as he pointed to a nearby stone bridge, that surprised the children...

" Well, all right, then..." Gerald said with a shrug.

Helga however, wasn't taking this new development all too well.

" _ **CRIMINY!**_ You mean to say that we nearly died on that stupid, old thing and there was a sturdy stone bridge just a few yards nearby...What is it with villains and taking the rickety bridges anyway?!..." Helga shouted in anger and exasperation.

Arnold could understand her frustrations, he himself was frustrated and he was certain that he might have some trauma from this experience, but now is not the time to deal with that.

"Come on Helga, it's over now and the sooner we get back to the hidden city, the sooner everything will make sense again..." Arnold said to her gently.

Helga still looked angry, grumbled but was compliant as they all headed to the stone bridge. They all crossed it and soon they were on their way.

Back to the hidden city, where their answers await them...

 ** _To be continued-_**

Next time on _No longer dense_

 ** _The Heart of Gold_**

* * *

 **A/N:** I am sorry about the long hiatus on this chapter, I have no excuse other than procrastination, but I hope this chapter makes up for it...

* * *

 **REPLIES** to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:

 **Invader Johnny:** Heh, someone always has to say those words in these things, right...

 **The J.A.M. a.k.a. Numbuh i:** Blame the shows writers, I'm just a fanfic fan and nothing more...

 **HAFanForever:** I am glad that you are liking this sorry and yes, I plan on. checking out your stories when I have the time...

 **Ellena Weasley:** Thanks and sorry about the long wait...

 **DarthRoden76:** How's this?

 **AmethystFlare3:** I hope that this will do...

* * *

 ** _:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)_**


	6. The Heart of Gold

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.

* * *

 **No longer dense**

 ** _Chapter 6: The Heart of Gold_**

It didn't take too long before they all returned to the Green Eye People Hidden city and they once again arrived to the palace, where they were greeted by the girl ruler, who looked relieved to see them. Soon she and Eduardo began to speak to each others in the Green Eyes native language.

 _"I wonder what they are saying..."_ Arnold thought as he continue to hear the conversation he could not understand.

Soon Eduardo turned to them and Arnold didn't like the solemn look on his face...it gave him a bad feeling.

"Arnold, your parents are here..." Eduardo said.

Arnold gasped in happiness...until he noticed the almost sad looking face on Eduardo...why would he be sad if he knew that his parents were here?

"She will take us to where they lie..." Eduardo said as he gestured to the child queen.

"L-Lie?..." Arnold said, feeling ice run down his spine at that word.

That...did...is he trying to say that his parents are-

Arnold shook his head, he would not even entertain such a horrible thought unless he sees it with his own eyes. So the 10 year old boy said nothing as the leader of the Green Eye people lead them to whether she was planning on leading. During this entire time, his friends said nothing as well but he could feel their eyes on him, worried about him.

The boy just continued to walk, because he needed to do this...he needed to finally know what happened to his mom and dad. ..

He just hoped it wasn't what he is fearing right now...and what he has been fearing for the last 9 years of his life.

* * *

 _Later_

 _At some kind of fortress_

They soon arrived to soon kind of fortress and Eduardo and the girl chief continued to talk in their native language, before the other green eyes opened the door. Once it was open, Arnold gasped as he finally saw his parents but they are not awake

Trembling, he took a step forward to get a better look at them, and he saw that they were very pale and they looked like they were sleeping in a stone bed.

" Dad?..." Arnold said as he glanced at his father but he didn't wake up.

"Mom?..." He said as he glanced at his mother, but she didn't wake up either.

Arnold began to feel his heart begin to break, he didn't like how this looked like...

"It's me..."He said in a sad, almost crying kind of voice.

"Arnold..." He heard Helga say in a sympathetic voice but he didn't take his eyes of his parents who were still not moving...why are they not moving?!

The scared little ten year old boy turned to Eduardo and the chief of the Green Eyes, with fear and worry obvious on his wide face.

"Are they...?" Arnold couldn't even say the horrible world and complete his sentence to say his worry.

He couldn't fully asked them if...if his parents were...we're. ...dead.

Thankfully he didn't have to as Eduardo knew what he is trying to say and answered him...

"No, no. It's the sleeping sickness, from over nine years ago..." Eduardo explained to him.

Arnold blinked in confusion. He was happy that his parents aren't dead but confused. ..

"But they had a cure..." He said, still not understanding why the Green Eyes didn't use it on them and the other sick adults.

"Yeah, and it had something to do with that big stone wheel thingy in the temple..." Gerald said

" Old Whatsername's gotta know about it..." Helga said to Eduardo, wanting answers.

The girl chief turned to Eduardo and continued to speak in her native language and Eduardo then turned to Arnold in order to translate.

"They believe that you are the one to open the Corazón, and with the heart of gold inside, you would awaken the sleeping parents and reunite them with their children..." Eduardo explained.

Arnold gasped in shock, unable to believe this...HE was suppose to be the one to cure his parents?

"The Corazón... was the cure?..." Arnold whispered in disbelief.

However, disbelief soon turned into sadness as the memory of the beautiful golden heart falling off the cliff repeated in his mind, like it was taunting him.

"But... it went over the cliff..." Gerald voiced sadly while Helga looked sad and worried as well.

Arnold looked to the ground as he felt the guilt and harsh reality begin to consume him, before he turned to Eduardo, with sad, guilty eyes.

"We have to tell her what happened..." He said to Eduardo, who knew what he is talking about.

Eduardo turned to the girl chief, spoke to her in her native language and now suddenly she began to cry her eyes out, along with the rest of the Green Eyes. They weren't the only ones as Arnold felt his heart literally crumble and tears fall from his eyes before he began to full out sob over his parents beds, anguish and sadness in every single tear.

 _"This is all my fault...it's because of me that the Corazon is gone. ..I did this...I'm sorry mom...I m sorry dad...I'm so sorry...I am_ _so sorry..."_ Arnold thought as he continued to cry literally over his parents, just wishing for a miracle to happen to save them.

 _"_ But, they're alive! There's gotta be a way to wake up your parents!..." Gerald said, though it sounded like he is trying not to cry himself.

 _"Please...please...send a miracle to save my parents and the Green Eyes. ..please...don't let them suffer because of my failure...please...please..."_ Arnold prayed as he continued to cry.

"Helga? Where are you going?..." He suddenly heard Gerald in between his tears.

"Huh?..." Arnold turned around, still with tears in his eyes as he suddenly noticed that Helga was running someplace.

"Helga?..." Arnold muttered as he wiped some tears away.

He saw her run in the direction of the temple where the mural was but why is she going there?

So, even though he heart is still crushed, he followed the blonde girl to see what has come over her. Gerald and Eduardo followed as well, and they all were wondering what has come over Helga G. Pataki.

* * *

 _At the temple_

Helga had run to the temple and was now looking at the stone wheel, while Arnold finally managed to catch up with her.

"Helga, what are you doing?..." Arnold asked as he noticed her looking at the device strangely, wondering what has come over her.

" This must be it! You were supposed to put the heart of gold here, and then, well, something would happen..." Helga explained..."I'm not a scientist..." She said sarcastically.

Arnold looked at the device, and saw an open cavity and then glanced back at the mural.

"I know what this is. These are the controls to a machine Miles told me about. The Green-Eyed People would put herbal formulas in the center altar, and the machine would spread them aromatically..." The Hispanic man said as he observed the device.

Arnold looked at the device with interest, as he glanced at all of its features...

"My dad and mom knew about this!...It's in the mural!..." The boy said he pointed to the paintings.

"So, instead of herbs... " He looked around and soon saw something that peaked his interest... _L_ ook! They put the cure right here, so it could cure the whole city at once!..." He exclaimed, feeling a bit more hopeful than earlier.

However, that hopefulness was shattered when he recalled the reality of their situation. He lose the heart of gold and they can't activate this device...even if they tried to search the jungle to find the heart, it would probably take weeks, months...maybe even years before they could recover it...and that's only only if it was still intact after that huge fall...

They needed a heart of gold in order to make this thing work...

" _Where on earth am I suppose to find another heart of gold?!..."_ Arnold thought as he felt despair about to take him over, as he knew only a miracle could see everyone now...

"But, without the heart of gold, the Green-Eyes... my parents... they can't be cured..." Arnold said, feeling as they were about to cry.

And it was at that moment when his miracle happened...a miracle in the hands of Helga G. Pataki...

"I might have something that would work..." Helga said in a shy voice with her hands behind her back.

She approached him and soon showed him what was in her hands... it was a locket, a _heart_ shaped, gold locket with his picture inside it.

 _"Helga..."_ Arnold thought in wonder as he took a few steps closer to get a better look, but he still couldn't believe it.

It's...it's a heart..." She said softly as she continued to hold it out to him.

He was truly stunned at the sight of it. He knew that she loved him but this..this is the ultimate proof of it...she's showing him on her own free will her golden heart locket, she's showing him her heart...

" _Heart?..."_ Arnold thought until it dawned on him what she is trying to say.

She's offering to let him use her golden heart in the place of the Corazon, in order to make the device work...

"I think it could fit...but this is just gold plated. ..it's not a very pure heart. .." She said in an insecure voice.

Arnold heard this and approached her, to let her know that she is wrong..

"I don't know... I think your heart... is more pure than you know..." He said to her, meaning every word.

A person without a pure heart would not have done even half the things she has done for him during this journey. .. if her heart wasn't pure, she wouldn't have cared about helping him find his parents, she wouldn't have stuck by him even when things have gone bad and she wouldn't be offering what could now be the only key to save his parents and everyone's lives...

So her heart is pure...more than she and even he realized it is...

Helga looked surprised by what he had just said and she started smiling happily...not just that, she let out a happy sigh and had a certain look on her eye that he had seen on the roof of FTI, the one that looked like she is swooning.

 _"I got to admit it...the way she does that is kind of cute..."_ Arnold thought in a bit of fondness.

Helga then gave him her locket and Arnold walked up to the stone wheel and tried to place it in. However, he was having a little trouble...

" _Come on, it has to fit...it just has to..."_ Arnold thought as he tried to make it fit, but still nothing and he is beginning to feel a little agitated. Helga however, took it out of his hands and sent him a look.

"You are such a football head..." She muttered as she turns the locket and he watched it lock in place.

Suddenly the saw the stone wheel begin to move and the entire city began to rumble, but it didn't feel like an earthquake.

" _What did we just do?..."_ Arnold thought as he saw the girl chief look happy and started calling all of the other green eyes children who were cheering loudly as they rushed to the temple.

The machine continues to work and he saw all of roofs in the city begin to open, and suddenly what looked like a geyser erupted and the cure began to practically rain all over the city, it was completely amazing.

" _Wow..."_ Arnold thought as he watched the cure continued to spread until it covered the entire hidden city.

Suddenly a swarm of...butterflies started flying out of the many rooms of the city and the girl chief looked thrilled and she kept yelling happily to her people

"Okay, what's going on?..." Helga asked out loud, not understanding any of this...

"There's butterflies..." Arnold said only to pause as a memory came to his mind.

It was when his grandfather told him the story in his father's journal, of when his parents first came to cure the sleeping sickness and his mother's had tested it on butterflies that had become victims of the horrible decease ...

It looks like this butterflies were beginning to wake up...

"Wait, could that mean...?" Arnold saw the children running towards their homes and he knows why.

The football headed boy started running, trying to get to the fortress that had his parents. As he run, he watched the sleeping parents finally awaken from their comas and reunite with their crying, happy children.

"Mama...papa..." He could hear them all say as they hugged their parents and Arnold just kept running and running as fast as he could.

 _"Please...please...let them wake up..."_ He internally prayed to God to let his parents finally awaken as he kept running and running as fast as he possibly could.

Arnold soon made it to the room that had his parents and to his amazement, he saw their cheeks regain color and their skin become healthy looking. Then, miraculously, their eyes began to open up as they finally awaken. Arnold witness this and felt tears form in his eyes once again.

But this time, they are tears of happiness...

His parents were _AWAKE!_

His parents soon glanced at him, there was a moment of silence as their eyes locked but they smiled as recognition came to them...recognition and love... Despite the fact that they haven't seen him since he was just a tiny, little baby, they still recognized that he is their son and they still loved him!

" Hey... Arnold..." His parents said in union.

That did it, Arnold freely let his tears slide down his cheeks as he ran to embrace their parents for the first time in years. His parents hugged him back and Arnold just kept crying and crying in joy.

"Mom...dad...I missed you..." Arnold whispered to them before he went back to hugging them.

Arnold finally felt the hole in his heart finally fill as his parents continued to hug and kiss him, and the little football headed hero vowed that he would never loose them ever again.

 ** _To be continued-_**

Next time on _No longer dense_

 ** _The celebration_**

* * *

 **REPLIES** to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:

 **Invader Johnny :** So it seems...

 **AmethystFlare3:** I'm glad that you liked it and I hoped the locket scene meets expectations...

* * *

 ** _:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)_**


	7. The Celebration

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.

* * *

 **No longer dense**

 ** ** _Chapter 7: The Celebration_****

Later that evening, all of the Green Eyes have gathered to watch the girl chief gladly return her crown to her parents, the _true_ rulers of the Green Eye people, who liked the rest of the adults was finally cured of that terrible sleeping sickness. It was a grand feast and everyone was happy.

 _ **"ARNOLD! ARNOLD!**_...'Every person in the city chanted as they honored the boy who had saved them

Arnold stood next to his parents and Gerald, unable to believe this.

 _"We actually did it._..'Arnold thought, feeling amazing.

He had not only saved his parents but an entire ancient civilization as well... He turned to his mother and father, who were now fully awake and healthy, and most of all, smiling at him with pride.

"Looks like you finished the work we started, Arnold..."His mother Stella said to him in a voice filled with happiness.

"I'm so proud of you, son...'His father Miles said in the same kind of way.

Arnold smiled widely at that and tried not to cry in order to not ruin the mood. He finally had his parents back and he felt the hole in his heart was finally filled...

 _" Mm-mm-mm..._ Now I've seen everything!...'Gerald said in his usual way, making everyone laugh at what he said.

'Good one, Gerald...'Arnold said. _  
_

He looked around at all the splendor, at his mother, his father, Eduardo, his best friend and-

 _'Wait...where is she?_...'Arnold thought as he realized that Helga is no longer up here with them. He quickly looked around to see where she has went.

"Helga?...'Arnold said as he finally saw her walking towards the stone wheel and the football headed boy wanted to see what was up.

He sent a glance to his parents and then to Helga who was still sneaking back, like she was hoping no one is looking.

"Will you excuse me for a moment, mom...dad..." Arnold requested and his parents nodded.

He saved his parents and everyone was happy but Arnold knew that he had one last loose end to take care of...

The football headed boy walked down the steps,and soon found himself to where Helga is. He saw her using a spear and tried to get her locket out of the machine that was used to save his parent's and everyone lives. Arnold couldn't help but smile at that...but he needed to talk to her.

So while Helga was busy trying to dig her locket out of the contraption, Arnold approached her.

"Hey Helga...'Arnold greeted, surprising the blonde girl in the process.

 _ **"AH!...**_ um...Hey...Arnold...'The girl said, trying to sound cool but he could tell she's nervous.

Helga looked nervous as she tried to act like he didn't see what she was obviously trying get her locket back. However, the spear she used had fallen out. They both looked down and then to each other and Helga _"discreetly"_ kicked it away and tried to pretend that she wasn't doing anything.

Arnold sighed as he knew this had to be done...there is no going around this...he needed to talk to her now.

 _"I have to do this...Ok, Arnold...you can do this..."_ Arnold thought as he took a breath and now looked at Helga, who still looked like she was trying to hide from him.

 _"_ Helga, I've known you my whole life, practically, and you've always been angry and... and kinda... you know...mean..."Arnold started and instantly regretted the way that sounded, especially with Helga now glaring at him now.

 _"Yeah!_ ...So?...'She said in a defensive and maybe a little hurt kind of way.

He didn't mean to hurt or insult her...He's just not as good as expressing himself in this kind of way...With how she confessed her feelings to him, while extreme, she made it look easy. But he had to tell her what he is feeling about her, now that he is no longer dense, in denial or distracted by the dangers of their adventures.. He had to tell her the truth, just as she had tried to do to him.

This needed to be done...

" _Just...just be honest with her Arnold...tell her the truth..."_ He thought to himself as he once again regained the courage to carry out his objective.

"I've also seen you be really loyal and _super_ brave..."He said as he watched her angry expression soften to a curious one.

Arnold began to feel his heart pumping and his palms begin to sweat a bit, but he had to keep going on or he might lose his nerve all together.

"So... I always wondered if maybe you were mean to me because... well, you _loved_ me..."He said, looking seriously into her eyes.

He did it..he finally said the _"L"_ word that had been so taboo to him in relation to her but now...it isn't.

Helga looked absolutely stunned by what he said, her eyes widened, her face was blushing and her lips were nearly trembling that he could almost _feel_ the emotion radiating off her.

"Love?...'She whispered out in a soft, disbelieving voice.

Before Arnold could say anything, he saw her snap out of it, and become defensive and maybe scared and she tried to go back to acting like she couldn't stand him, scoffing at what he said and telling him that it wasn't true. She was probably scared that he was going to take this back and run away and was shielding herself from any possible pain.

He wanted to let her know that she no longer had to fear or hide from him, he wasn't going to run away or take this back...not again. He knew about her feelings and accepted them, so he continued with his confession.

"Listen, I know you tried to tell me before, and I...I wasn't ready to hear it...'Arnold finally admitted with some shame in his voice.

He hadn't been ready to hear it on the crows nest or on the roof of FTI but now, he was ready to face this with her. He was finally ready to do this...

"But now, this whole thing...the trip to San Lorenzo, getting away from LaSombra, finding my parents... it's all because of you. ..." Arnold said as he looked at her in amazement, with Helga looking stunned by her words.

"Your locket..." Arnold gestured to the heart shaped piece of jewelry that was still inside the wheel...

Helga once again got into the defensive mode, and Arnold wondered why she was still acting so afraid...

"Locket? What locket?...'She said, trying to play dumb, though Arnold wondered why she was even bothering at this point.

He knew...she knew that he knew and he wanted to make sure that she knew that he's more than okay with it.

However, as if some kind of cosmic joke, the locket just fell out of the wheel in front of them. Helga was blushed while Arnold just sent a smile and picked up the precious heart of gold. The one that saved his parent's lives and showed him the true Helga...

The one that was always there, hidden by sarcastic comments and an angry facade...

Arnold looked at the locket as it is precious and then to it's owner, who is also precious to him now...

 _"_ Your locket...it woke up my parents!..."Arnold exclaimed in an outburst of happiness as he handed the precious locket back to his precious Helga.

When their finger tips brushed against each other as he handed it back, Arnold felt his heart pump even faster and felt a warm feeling in his heart he never felt before...At least not at this level. It made what he felt towards Ruth, Summer and even Lila insignificant in comparison. All he could feel is this warm, wonderful feeling in his heart...

And it's all because of _her..._

"You did it all, just to help me...He said as he felt his heart continue to beat and he continued to admire her more and more...

He admired her courage, her loyalty, her bravery, her strength, her devotion and fidelity to him...he was even admiring how shining her blonde hair is, he admired her blue eyes and finally noticed that they are the same shade as the summer's sky, he was even admiring the cute, confused way she is looking at him...

She is just so...so... _special_ like this... Special, and sweet, and loving and wonderful and...and...

"And... and..." He realized that no mere words were ever going to fully express to her how he feels about how special she is to him, of the big place that she now resides in within his heart...

He wanted to let her now about the true depths of what he feels for her...And idea came to his mind, but it made him blush...but he realized he wanted to do it to. Not only would it be his way of thanking her for everything that she has done but he realized now it was the only truly perfect way of letting him now how he feels about her in a way that neither of them could take back.

Because he didn't want to take it back, he wanted to end all the games with her and just...just _show_ her how he truly feels...of what she makes him feel now...

Besides, sometimes actions speak louder than words, don't they...

Arnold gatherer all of his courage and boldly took a step forward to Helga, took her hands in his and closed his eye, sending her a non verbal message of what he wishes to do and giving her full control to take it. He soon felt Helga's lips touch his, and Arnold felt his heart speed up even more and his insides turn into hot jelly.

He is kissing a girl...a girl is kissing him...He is kissing Helga G. Pataki...Helga G. Pataki is kissing him...They are kissing each other...and...and...

He _**LOVES**_ it!

It wasn't as heated, savage or enthusiastic as their last kiss was, it was actually gentle but still warm and made Arnold feel something he never felt before. He felt as if lightning was coursing thought his small body, he felt his face heated as their lips formed perfectly around each other and he felt...he felt...he felt a feeling that he just can't describe with words...

All he knows is that he loved this feeling, he loved kissing her and...and...

 _"Helga...I think...I think I love you..._ 'Arnold thought as they continued to kiss each other.

Arnold continued to kiss her, completely ignorant of the entire world around them, because right now, all that matter was him, her and the special, finally reciprocated love between them now and he knew nothing could ruin this moment for them...

Until he heard a voice that forced him out of it...

" _Mm-mm_ - _mmm!..."_ Gerald's voice was loud and it snapped it out of it. _  
_

Arnold and Helga pulled away from each other, as they realized that he had seen them kissing. Arnold felt his face become a new shade of red he never felt before and he realized he was still holding Helga's hands. Helga seemed to be just as embarrassed as he is at being caught like this, so they pulled away from each other and tried to act like they have _ **NOT**_ just been kissing each other, with Helga even doing an innocent whistle.

Gerald clearly didn't buy it as he sent an amused look that made Arnold want to crawl under his bed or something.

" _That did not just happen...that did not just happen...'_ The flustered and embarrassed Arnold tried to convince himself this, but it wasn't working.

However, it got worse when Gerald turned and Arnold finally noticed _HIS PARENT'S_ were there too and they clearly watched them kiss too...

 _"_ Okay, _now_ I've seen everything!...'Gerald said in amusement while Arnold's parents looked at them as if they were adorable.

It made Arnold wish that the ground would just suck him up or something as he kept repeating in his mind _"This is not happening.."._

He didn't even bother to look at Helga, though he could imagine she was probably just as, if not even _more_ embarrassed than he is right now, if that's even possible. Especially when his parents gave each other a strange look before they approached them with wide, silly grins on their faces...Helga however, seemed to recover first as she was the first one to find her voice.

"Um...Arnold's parent's...um..." Helga stuttered as they kept smiling at her in that weird way.

"Call us Miles and Stella, dear...You know, we haven't properly been introduced yet..." Stella said as she kept smiling widely.

"So what's your name?...'Mile asked with a smile that was a lot like Arnold's.

'H-Helga...Helga G. Pataki...'She squeaked out.

Arnold, who was half friend from the embarrassment at being caught, was surprised to see just how shy and nervous Helga is now, and he wondered if she was going to be alright...

"That's a _pretty_ name...'Stella said to Helga who was looking down sheepishly.

"Nice choice son, your girlfriend is cute...'Miles said as he ruffled his embarrassed son's head.

"D-Dad...'Arnold said with his face burning even redder if it was even possible.

His dad is calling Helga his _**GIRLFRIEND?!**_ Sure, he accepted that he liked her a lot now, maybe even loved her but this is the first time he willingly kissed her on his own and...and...and...

He honestly didn't know how he was going to...to...to do something about this...However, Gerald apperntly decided to take pity on them and came to the rescue.

"Now guys, we can get all mushy and gross later, I just remembered that we still got our whole class still being held captive...'Gerald reminded them.

Arnold finally lost the red in his face as he realized that he is right, he had been so busy enjoying having his parent's back that he actually forgot about that.

"We got to go get them out...LaSombra might be gone but we still need to help my friends...'Arnold said to his parents who sent him a smile.

"Why didn't you say so, come on...I'm sure the Green Eyes will help out...'Miles said as they group left to talk to the chief and get help, wit his mother and even Gerald following them, but not before he sent them another look and said this.

"It's about time you two...'He said as he walked away.

Arnold blinked in surprise and confusion when he said that. What did Gerald mean? Was he implying that he somehow _knew_ about what was going on between him and Helga, even though he never told him?

Before he could contemplate it any longer, Helga got his attention, she still looked flustered but not as badly as earlier.

"Um...football head..." Helga started with a shy voice.

"Yes Helga..."Arnold questioned.

Helga suddenly looked to make sure the coast was clear and before he could say anything, she _kissed_ him again...It was a short, quick, gentle kiss that somehow left Arnold _just_ as captivated as the last one.

 _"Helga...'_ Arnold thought before he melted into the kiss.

Once she pulled away, she sent him the same look she sent him after her first confession when they saved the neighborhood.

It was a look of _pure, unconditional love_ , and it was all for him...It made Arnold start smiling too, with a similar look on his face though it wasn't at her level...

Yet anyway...

They said nothing as they didn't need to. They didn't need any words now to know that he was no longer dense and she no longer had to hide her love from him, because he accepted and returned it now.

The two smitten pre-teens soon decided to rejoin his parents, Gerald and the Green eyes as they went to go back to the prison camp to help his friends, and where, unknown to them at the moment, his grandparents were waiting and would have the surprise of their life upon finding Miles and Stella alive and well.

Overall, it is a happy ending to an amazing tale, but Arnold had a small feeling that it was not over yet...

 ** _To be continued-_**

Next time on _No longer dense_

 ** _The Happy Ending_**

* * *

 **REPLIES** to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:

 **Invader Johnny:** You said it...

* * *

 ** _:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)_**


	8. The Happy Ending

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.

* * *

 **No longer dense**

 ** _Chapter 8: The Happy Ending_**

Arnold began to stir awake, his eyes slowly opening to a new day. He felt a smile on his face as he awoken, feeling very happy for some reason.

He knew the reason why, he had a wonderful dream of the trip to San Lorenzo he took a few months ago. It was where he, Helga, Gerald and the rest of his friends had traveled to the jungles of San Lorenzo, got captured by LaSombra who had tricked him by impersonating LaSombra because he wanted him to find the Green Eyes legendary Corazon. They had managed to escape that place and traveled the jungle using the map from his father's journal, as well as a special amulet that helped see the secret message within it. After facing many dangerous booby traps and perils of the jungle, they had eventually hound the Green Eyes and discovered the truth. That the horrible sleeping sickness had spread to infect all of the adults in the city, including Arnold's very own parents. The Green eyes showed him that Arnold was the one destined to cure them, using their sacred Corazon to do so, but before that could happen, LaSombra had arrived and captured both Arnold and the Corazon in order to make the poor boy open the relic so he could retrieve the heart of gold inside. After an intense battle over the rope bridge, the children discovered the real Eduardo and all together, they managed to defeat LaSombra but lost the Corazon in the end. Upon returning to the hidden city and Eduardo explained the entire story, Helga had revealed to him her heart shaped locket, along with her feelings for him and together, they managed to cure the entire city, his parents and he and Helga even kissed after he finally accepted just how much she loved him.

A happy ending for all, especially the little football headed boy who's greatest wish finally came true, he finally had his parents back!

However, he looked around his room, to see that he was not at the temple kissing Helga and being ribbed by his parents and Gerald over it but back in his bedroom, dressed in his plaid blue pajamas.

" _A_ _dream?..."Arnold_ thought, until a bad thought formed inside his wide head.

What if it _**ALL**_ was just a dream?

Arnold gasped in horror when that thought came, not wanting it to be true!

 _"WHAT? NO! It had to have happened...It...It just had to..._ "The little boy immediately jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs.

He needed to see that it WASN'T all just one big, crazy dream. He needed to see his parent's down stairs, alive and well with him. He needed to know that he HAD them now. He needed to see that his dream wasn't just a dream but that it had happened and he had his parents back and his family was finally happy.

He ran down the stairs, anxiety and hope gwaning inside him like crazy...

"Mom...Dad...'Arnold called as he looked around, only to suddenly hear glass breaking in a nearby room.

The dining room...Arnold went there only to see his grandfather and the boarders going with their usual morning breakfast mayhem and grandma was holding her " _On strike_ " sign.

"Hey, Gramps, what's for breakfast?! I'm starving over here! _**STARVING!...'**_ Ernie shouted impatiently as he slammed his fist on the table for emphasis.

"Make me a sandwich, old man!..." Mr. Kokoshka demanded like a spoiled, lazy child

"Crispy fries and a tofu burger for me, please, and step on it!..."Mr. Hyunhsaid impatiently as he waited for his breakfast.

All the while, Arnold felt his heart begin to break and tears form in his eyes. The pain that the whole adventure had just been a big, crazy dream had hurt him in the cruelest way possible, he was going to start crying when all of a sudden...

"Breakfast is served! Eggs in a basket!...'Miles suddenly appeared from the kitchen, with the aforementioned food in his hands and his wife right behind him.

 _"Mom...Dad..._ "Arnold thought, too afraid to move or speak ,out of fear that it might have been a fantasy...

He was still in shock as the boarders, his grandparents and his _parents_ continue with breakfast, as if it was every day life...which probably IS for them now... but the little football headed boy was still stunned in amazement of it all.

"Don't you mean toad-in-a-hole?...'His grandmother questioned.

"We call it eggs in a basket...'His mother's _beautiful_ voice replied to his grandmother.

"Finally, someone with some sense around here!...'Ernie said as he scarfed down the food, with the other's doing the same as well.

"No disrespect, but you've both been asleep for ten years. What do you know about breakfast?..."His grandfather said to his father.

It was then that Arnold's shock finally ebbed and realization finally hit him.

" _It WASN'T just a dream...It really happened and they really ARE here..."_ Arnold thought as his eyes and smile widen and he even did a happy dance as if he just discovered it was Christmas and his birthday today.

Only this was even _**better...**_

Arnold didn't even bother to contain his joy as he literally just ran to his parents to give them a hug...

"Mom! Dad! You're really back!..."Arnold said as he latched onto his parents, who immediately hugged him back as well.

"Hey, Arnold..."They both said to him as they hugged him and Arnold felt more tears form in his eyes.

Only this time, they were tears of _happiness._

His parent's noticed these tears and wiped them away and the little boy savored this contact, just savoring the fact that they really are here and they were with him.

"Were you having that same dream again where you never found us?...'His father said in a concern voice.

It's then that the memories finally registered to his mind, that it was no longer summer but the start of fall and every night, he has been waking up like this, worried that the entire trip had been a dream and that they really weren't here.

"Yeah, the same dream I've been having all summer...'Arnold said, feeling ridiculous over getting so sad over no reason.

He had saved his parents but it's like he was having trouble letting it sink in or something...He feared that deep down his dream come true has just been a dream and nothing more...

"It's no dream, Arnold. You really came and rescued us, and now we're really back home with you..."His mother said giving him a loving smile and caressing his cheek, making the child smile widely.

He could literally _feel_ the maternal love in that moment, and it only made him smile more...

Suddenly his mother got up, as if peppy about an exciting idea she just had...

"What do you say we go on an adventure today? I read that the city botanical gardens has a new rain forest exhibit...'His mother said to her son as he helped her husband up and his smile indicated that he liked the idea.

Arnold was about to agree wholeheartedly, until he recalled that today was a particularly important day which would make it impossible for him to go to a place like that...until later at least...

"Sounds great, but... it's actually the first day of school...'Arnold said slowly to his parent's as he went to grab some bacon...

"Oh..."He heard his mother say in an almost disappointed kind of way, before switching to a more perky tone... "Of course! We knew that...'His mother said.

" Sure...We're hip...'His dad said as he put his arm around his mom.

Arnold tried hard not to laugh at this.

Usually it's the child who conveniently forgets about the first day of school and wanting to go on an adventure, but every day since that trip, his parents and him did something fun and exciting together, going to the park, the zoo, the aquarium, the carnival, the beach, on all sorts of fun adventures together.

It has been wonderful but even he knew he couldn't ditch school, it's just not in his nature...

Suddenly he heard a squeal and saw Abner come to him in excitement.

"Come on Abner!...'Arnold said as he fed him some of his breakfast before taking a bite himself and then immediatly ran upstairs to get ready.

For his first day of school as a sixth grader!

The little boy ran upstairs to get his things, took a quick shower, got dressed, brushed his hair and soon saw his reflection in the mirror unable to believe it. He is a sixth grader now, he had his parents back and his family is finally complete and the hole in his heart was finally mended...

And he's happy...

"I still find it amazing that it all really did happen...but I'm happy..." Arnold said to his pet pig as he sighed in contentment.

"Arnold sweetie, hurry up..it's already 7:15..." His mom said as she appeared.

"Yeah son, you don't want to be late on your first day..." His dad said to him.

"I'll be done in a moment, mom and dad..." Arnold said with a chuckle to his parents.

"OK. .." His mother said with a smile.

"Just wanting to make sure..." His dad said with the same smile..." We'll see you downstairs..." He said before he left, with his wife following him, though she sent another glance to her son before leaving.

Arnold smiled and decided to continue to get ready since he didn't want to be late. The boy however, wasn't completely thinking about school for the moment as he took out some cologne he used only for special occasions and put it on himself as he thought about another person who had an important role in the greatest adventure in his life.

A person who he was _very much_ looking forward to see on his way to school today...

* * *

 _Later_

 _Downstairs_

Arnold finished getting ready and returned downstairs where his parents, grandparents and even the boarders were waiting for him.

"Oh Arnold, you look so adorable..." His mother gushed as she hugged him.

"Your first day of sixth grade, we need to take a picture..."His dad said in excitement.

"I'll do it for five bucks..." Oskar said in his usual way only to yelp when grandpa stomped him on his foot.

"Never mind the bum, I'll take the snap shot..." Grandpa said.

"You hurt me grandpa, I ought to sue..." Oskar whined.

"I'm not your grandpa and shut it Kokoshka, this is suppose to be a nice day..." Grandpa snapped, causing the foreign man to grumble and pout.

Arnold smiled as his grandparent took a photo of him and his parents together, feeling really happy about it.

"Better hurry Kimba, you want to make it to the rendezvous point by day break..." His grandmother said in her eccentric way.

Arnold glanced at the clock and soon figured out that she was, in her own way, reminding him to get to school on time.

"I better get going..." Arnold said.

He noticed that his parents smiles lessened for a moment, before they looked at him expecting.

"Oh, we see..." His mother said.

"You and Gerald are gonna walk together, right. .." Miles said.

"That's right..." Arnold said as he noticed that they didn't want him to leave.

He understood because it's gonna be the first day in a long time that they were going to away from each other for more than a few hours, since they see t every day of summer together, one way or the other. But he had to school and they knew that.

"Bye mom...bye dad...maybe after school we could visit the botanical gardens..." Arnold suggested, making his parents smile.

"That's a marvelous idea, Arnold..." His mom said happily.

"Yeah, we will pick you up right after school and we can all have a fun afternoon..." Miles said.

Arnold smiled widely as he turned to leave.

"Bye, everyone!..." Arnold said to his family as he stepped out the door but not before Abner and all the animals run out of the boarding house like always, only now there were a few new additions, such as a monkey, _a_ butterfly, _a_ parrot, and even _a_ snake that at the very least was harmless.

He then turned to his best friend Gerald, who was waiting for him to walk to school together.

"Well, Arnold, you ready for the worst day of school?..." Gerald said in his own, humorous way.

" You mean the _first_ day of school?..." Arnold said to his best friend..

"That's what I said..." Gerald said in a snarky kind of way.

Arnold tried hard not to laugh at his dramatics and just settled for an amused smile.

" Come on, Gerald, look at the bright side...We're in sixth grade now...How bad could it be?..." Arnold said in his optimistic way as the two best friends did their secret handshake.

The two boys soon left for school...but not before making one, very important stop first...

* * *

 _At the street corner_

Arnold and Gerald soon reached the corner and stopped to see the two people they wanted to see and walk with on their way to school. They saw Phoebe Hyerdahl and Helga G. Pataki..

Their **_girlfriends!_**

" _There she is..."_ Arnold thought in excitement as his heart spend up when his eyes landed on his tall, blonde _girlfriend._

Yep, they were in sixth grade now and they had _girlfriends._ Gerald was with Phoebe and he was with Helga now since the trip, where she helped him saved his parents and he realized and accepted that she has always been the one for him when he finally stopped being dense.

The girls sent them smiles that they quickly returned. Gerald and Phoebe quickly took each other's hand and began to walk ahead of them to school, leaving Arnold alone with his girl...

The same girl who helped him get to San Lorenzo in the first place, the same one who stood by him through parlors jungles and deadly booby traps as they searched for the hidden city, the same girl who showed him her heart of gold which saved the day, the one he has been dating since the trip and would spend time with when he wasn't out with his parents and the same one he now accepted as the one who was always meant for him...

The one who loved him and wanted s always there for him, even when he was too dense to notice...but not anymore.

They didn't need to say anything as Arnold took her hand in his and smiled sweetly at her, feeling his little heart all of a flutter as its been feeling all summer whenever they were together. He saw Helga's face soften and he could see the love in happiness in her eyes and voice when she let out a swoon.

 _"Oh~..."_ She swooned, which made Arnold smile more.

" _She's so cute when she does that..."_ Arnold thought in infatuation as he continued to enjoy just holding her hand like this.

However, Helga blinked and then frown before she broke their hand hold.

"Hey, who said you could touch me?..." She said in an annoyed tone, which made Arnold blink as she walked ahead of him.

However he noticed a _smile_ on her face as he knew she didn't mean it, which made Arnold sent an amused smile at her antics and walked faster to walk side by side her, which the blonde girl did not protest to at all.

Sure, he knew that Helga still didn't want to announce to the whole world yet the they are a couple. They had a talk about this a few weeks ago with school fast approaching, she said she wasn't ready to suddenly let the whole truth out. She promised that she wasn't going to outright bully him to keep the charade going in front of their classmates but stuff like kissing and holding hands in front of their peers...she's not ready yet...

And to be honest, Arnold had no qualms with waiting either...she's worth the wait, after all. ..

 _"Helga..."_ Arnold thought as he sent a longing glance at the girl who was only a step in front of him but was still looking at him as they walked...with the same love in her eyes she always had for him.

However, it was interrupted when they heard two familiar voices call to them..

"Hey Arnold!..." His parents Miles and Stella suddenly appeared to their son and his friends.

"Can we walk with you to school?..." Mom said in an almost pleading kind of way.

"Yeah, we already miss you!..." His dad added quickly.

" _Mom...Dad. .."_ Arnold thought as a smile formed on his face.

He supposed he should have seen this com king, since technically speaking, to them, this is his first day at school and they wanted to be there to drop him off since they had missed doing so in the past.

"Sure, Mom and Dad..." Arnold said to his parents, not minding that they just wanted to spend time with him now that they were finally together again.

The quartet of children and the two adults soon walked together in the direction of PS.118, talking amicably the entire way while Arnold couldn't stop smiling the whole way.

* * *

 _At PS.118_

The group soon arrived to PS.118 where all of the students greeted them, especially Arnold, even Mr. Simmons who was thankfully sane again and still teaching here despite his episode in San Lorenzo with the monkeys. It probably helps with the fact that his students took pity on him and didn't mention it to Principal Warts though. ..

They soon arrived to the steps and everyone, including Helga, Gerald and Phoebe went inside. Arnold however, noticed his parents were still following him, so he needed to take a moment to talk to them, to be sure they understood something...

"You'll have to stay outside, okay?..." Arnold said slowly to his mother and father, not wanting to risk hurting their feelings.

" Okay..." His mother said, still smiling.

"When will you be done?..." His father asked in an anxious tone, though he was still smiling...

"Uh, 3:30..." Arnold answered as he heard the bell and quickly ran up the steps to avoid being late.

"We'll be waiting right here..." He heard his mother say.

Arnold turned around to see his mom and dad now sitting at the bottom of the school steps, still keeping their eyes on them. Arnold smiled widely at this, knowing full well that at the of the school day, his parents would be there to pick him up and then they would go to the botanical gardens and then all sorts of fun stuff.

Just like families do...

The boy soon entered the school but not before looking at his parents one last time, before the doors closed, as sign that he would be in here and they would be out there for the next few hours, that suddenly seemed so far away now. He still looked at the door, despite knowing the bell rang and class was about to start.

He just...had a hard time finding the will to move, knowing that his mom and dad were finally with him again, have been with him all this summer and would be there to pick him up once classis over...

"Hey football head, hurry up...class is starting..." He turned to see and impatient looking Helga march toward him with her hands on her hips.

Arnold tried not to laugh at this. He knew her well now to know that she wasn't anywhere near as angry as she wanted people to think and to be honest, he found this to be funny and cute than intimidating now.

"I'm coming Helga. ..I just...need a minute..." Arnold said as as he glanced at the door once more.

The expression on Helga's face soften a bit, as she probably knew what he was thinking and feeling, and sent him a small, reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, they said they will be here later...they aren't going anywhere football head..." Helga said in a soft voice he has gotten to know well since the trip.

One that knew that she was being 100% honest with him, just like she she confessed to him.

"I know Helga...it's just...still so amazing..." He said in a marveled voice, making Helga smile.

"I know what you mean, having your greatest wish come true, takes a while to get used to..." She said and he got the hidden message in her words.

It made Arnold adore her even more when she's like this, not pretending or acting, just being her true self, which is who he fell in love with all of this time. Arnold said nothing as he sent her an adoring look, looked around to make sure the coast was clear and without warning, he gave his girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek, catching her off guard.

 _ **"A-ARNOLD!**_ What the heck are you doing?!...I...I told you to keep the PDA on the down low, I mean, seriously...somebody could have seen us! It's the start of the school year and don't need people bugging us about...well _US._ I mean _**HELLO!**_ What part of _"discrete"_ do you not comprehend? ..." Helga said with her hands on her hips pout on a pout on her face.

All the while, the wide grin and infatuated look on Arnold's face didn't leave as she did her little rant. He knew that this wasn't out of anger but shyness...and it made him smile like crazy...

" _She really is one of a kind...and she's all mine now..."_ Arnold thought as felt so happy.

He had his parents back in his life, his friends liked him again and he now had a loving, wonderful, cute, sweet and feisty girlfriend in Helga G. Pataki of all people.

And he's happy...happy that the trip was _**NOT**_ a dream, happy that his parents were awake and with him again, happy that the Green Eyes were finally cured of that horrible sleeping sickness, happy that they were all home safe and sane and he was happy that he finally had a girl who loved him, only him and who's feelings he knew would never change...

Just how lucky can a guy get?

"Whatever you say, Helga. .." Arnold chuckled, finding her pouting to be just too adorable right now.

"Darn right bucko, now come on... I don't want to be late..." Helga said to her boyfriend, no longer looking angry, just impatient, though she still looked cute that way too.

"Coming Helga..." Arnold said as he followed her.

The boy and the girl soon left for class to start their first day of 6th grade and the start of the rest of their lives...

 ** _To be continued-_**

Next time on _No longer dense_

 ** _The Epilogue_**

* * *

 **REPLIES** to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:

 **Invader Johnny:** You got that... **  
**

 **AmethystFlare3:** Thank you, I try my best...

* * *

 ** _:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)_**


	9. The Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.

* * *

 **No longer dense**

 ** _Chapter 9: The Epilogue_**

The first day of sixth grade had been amazing. It turns out that they once again had Mr. Simmons as their new sixth grade teacher since the old one, Mr. Purdy, had quit and Mr. Simmons decided to fill for the position after he recovered from his monkey episode. After that pleasant surprise, everyone began talking about how they spent their summer vacation _AFTER_ the trip to San Lorenzo.

Rhonda, who's hair finally grew back, spent the summer in Europe, receiving hair regrowth treatments and basically trying to forget the whole trip ever happened. Lila had spent the summer with her grandparent's farm in her old home town and everyone else just spent the summer at the beach or having fun around Hillwood.

Arnold, however, couldn't stop telling them about how much fun he has been having with his folks all summer and all of his friends were happy for him. During recess and lunch, he spent time with Gerald, Phoebe and Helga, who still wasn't ready for hand holding in public yet, but at the very least, she didn't squirt water on him at the fountain or throw spitballs at him during class time like she used to do when she pretended that she wasn't totally in love with him.

Baby steps...

Eventually, the final bell rang, signalling the end of the first day of school, much to the joy of the students.

"Finally, now time for my favorite part of class..."Gerald said with glee.

"Class is over for today, Gerald...'Arnold pointed out.

"That's what I mean..." Gerald said, making Arnold sent him an amused look as the rest of the class were leaving.

"Goodbye students, have an extra special day...'Mr. Simmons said before leaving.

Leaving Arnold and Gerald, alone with their girlfriends Helga and Phoebe as they got their things from their lockers.

"One down, 179 more school days left until it's summer again..."Helga muttered, making Arnold chuckle at that.

"Come on Helga, we are in sixth grade now...I have a good feeling about this year...'Arnold said to his girlfriend.

"Always the optimistic one, aren't you, Arnold?...'Helga said in an amused one.

"Somebody has to be..." Arnold said with a shrug, making the girl smile at that.

"Well, it does beat dealing with Bob and his stupid beepers all day..."She admitted with a shrug.

Once they were done, Gerald and Phoebe left on their own, something about a date at the movies, leaving Arnold and his girlfriend alone once again. The two of them walked out the door and as predicted, Arnold's mother and father, Miles and Stella were at the front of the steps, where they promised they would be once school was out.

"Hey Arnold...'They both said.

"We really missed you son...How was school? Did you like sixth grade?..."His dad asked in an eager, wanting to know kind of way.

"How was lunch? Did you like the sandwich I packed you?...'His mother asked quickly too.

Arnold and Helga both blinked at this eagerness, Helga sent her boyfriend a questioning look while Arnold just sent an understanding smile at his mom and dad.

"Hi mom...Hi dad...Yes, I did miss you guys...School was great and I think tomorrow will be a good day too and the sandwich was delicious mom...'Arnold answered them in the same order they asked him.

"That's great son..." Miles said until he finally noticed Helga's presence... "Hi there Helga..." Miles greeted to the girl.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Shortman..." Helga said in a surprisingly polite tone.

Arnold noted that every time they meet, Helga got a little shy and tried to mind her manners, he figured she really wanted his parent's to like her. He tried to tell her that she could be herself with them, since they _already_ liked her like he did.

"Now Helga...please...Call us Miles and Stella, no need for any formalities..."His mother said to the girl who still looked a little docile.

"Ok...Stella..." Helga said, still looking uncharacteristically demure.

Arnold couldn't help but smile wider, finding her shyness precious, and he got an idea. He wanted to spend time with his folks, but he still wanted to hang out with her to.

"My folks and I are going to see the new rain forest exhibit at botanical gardens...do you want to come, Helga?..."Arnold asked his girlfriend.

"She can come, right?..."Arnold quickly asked his parents.

"Why certainly Arnold, what a great idea...'His mom said, nodding her head.

"Sure, the more the merrier..."Miles said.

"So, do you want to come Helga, it will be fun..." Arnold asked his girlfriend who almost looked surprise by how much they wanted her to come along.

After a few moments, she smiled and nodded her head.

"Sure, it actually does sound like fun...'Helga said to her boyfriend and his parents who smiled.

"Wonderful, well come on you two...Adventure awaits us..." Mom said as her husband took her hand.

"Not to mention pizza and ice cream too..." Miles said.

"Now you are talking my language...'Helga said, making the two adults laugh.

Arnold stared at his girlfriend, and out of impulse, took her hand again, which she noticed.

Helga once again got all smiley and swooning, and he really enjoyed her being like this until she snapped out of it and snatched her hand away.

"What did I say about touching?...'She scolded to her boyfriend who tried hard not to laugh.

"Sorry sweetie, couldn't help myself...'Arnold said in a sweet tone, making her blush brightly at what he said.

She really looked so cute when she got flustered like this, he wondered why it took until the trip to San Lorenzo for him to notice...

"Whatever...'She muttered, before a smirk and a mischievous look suddenly appeared on her face, one that made Arnold curious. Before warning, she took a few steps ahead of him, and then began running.

"Last one to gardens is a rotten egg..." Helga said as she began running and even passed his parents.

Arnold blinked at that, soon realized what happened and started running and trying and failing to start laughing.

"No fair! You got a head start..."Arnold shouted as he ran faster to keep up with her, laughing at the whole thing.

"All's fair in love and war, football head..." Helga shouted as she kept running.

Arnold was grinning widely as he kept running to catch up with her, all the while, loving this little game of chase deep down. Helga is his girlfriend now but she's still spunky as she's always been, she still has her fire...and Arnold _loved_ it.

"Helga..." Arnold called as he kept running to catch up to her.

His parent's witness this whole th ping with big smiles on their faces as they watched the little game of love between the football headed boy and his girlfriend.

"Aw, young love..." Miles said as he sent his wife a smile.

"There's nothing like it..." Stella said before giving her husband a kiss on the cheek.

The two adults soon kept walking faster to keep up with those kids. They soon arrived to the gardens with Helga winning the little _"race",_ which Arnold didn't mind really. They soon saw the entire rain forest exhibit and Miles and Stella both explained the different types of foreign flowers and plant life, fascinating the two children. They then had pizza for lunch, got some ice cream and when no one was looking, Helga pulled Arnold behind a large tree and kissed the boy straight on the lips, which the football headed boy didn't mind, _AT ALL._

The rest of the day continued like that, just admiring the beauty of nature and just enjoying being with each other and Arnold was really, _REALLY_ happy now...

He had his mom and dad back and they were going to stay with him for good, he was in the sixth grade now and he now had a wonderful girlfriend in the same girl he once thought he would never see in that way but now knew that she's the one for him. Overall, it was a happy ending to the greatest adventure of his life.

No...It isn't a happy _ending..._ it is a happy **_beginning.._**

Sixth grade is starting, he had his parents, his whole family, a girlfriend and his friends with him by his side for this whole new adventure and many more to come.

He didn't really know what is coming up next but he eagerly awaits it. Now that he had his folks, his friends and Helga by his side, he truly felt like he could do anything. He finally had everything he has ever wanted and everything he didn't know that he wanted too. The future looks bright and he had a feeling that things were going to get even better from here on out...

Now that he's no longer dense...

 ** _The End_**

* * *

 _And done._

 _9 chapter in total and I am very proud of each and every one of them. This has been one of my favorite stories to work on and I am sorry for the unintentional hiatus this story went through for a while. I have no excuse other than procrastination to blame for it. At the very least it is finally complete and I am very satisfied with how it turned out.  
_

 _Anyway, I would like to dedicate and give a shout out to my many wonderful reviews that have stuck by me since I started this fic:_

Let's give so love for: **_AmethystFlare3,_ **_**Braygirl,** **C** **arlinJ83, DarthRoden76,**_ _ ** **Ellena Weasley, EmrysLover1215,****_ _ **Guest, HAFanForever,** **HumanDictionary, Invader Johnny, Puella Pulchra,** **SeraphinaDreamer, shila-li**_ and **The** _ **J.A.M. a.k.a. Numbuh i.** **  
**_

 _Thank you all, you guys are part of the reason I love doing what I do :)_

* * *

For old times sake, here are the **REPLIES** to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:

 **The J.A.M. a.k.a. Numbuh i:** No it was not :) :) :)

 **Invader Johnny:** Thank you :)

 **Ellena Weasley:** I hope that the ending was satisfactory...

 **AmethystFlare3:** Thank you :)

* * *

 ** _:) It's been a blast, everyone :)_**


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